Even though a major trade appeared to be off the table for weeks, fans expected the Los Angeles Lakers to at least make some moves at the trade deadline to improve the roster. Instead, the Lakers did nothing and will have to rely on this roster, which has performed poorly thus far. Lakers fans were immediately shown how bad of a decision that might have been on Thursday night, as the Lakers were not even able to win on Kobe Bryant statue night. The Denver Nuggets took care of business against the Lakers in a game where they were never truly in danger.
Before the deadline, rumors circulated that the Lakers would sit out the season in order to make a larger trade in the upcoming offseason. That narrative already has more legs because the Lakers have been linked to more players than just Donovan Mitchell. Kyrie Irving joined the Mitchell craze because he will be associated with the Lakers as long as LeBron James is on the team, which is improbable and the least problematic of the two new targets that were reportedly in the running. Jovan Buha of The Athletic reports that the Lakers may also be targeting Atlanta’s Trae Young.
Inaction during the trade deadline linked the Lakers to Trae Young.
For quite some time now, Trae Young has been the target of the Lakers. Those who have followed the Lakers closely won’t be surprised by this as there have been some early reports suggesting the team was keeping an eye on Young’s circumstances in Atlanta.
After the disastrous 2023–24 season, this offseason seems like the most likely time for Young to be traded. With Young and Dejounte Murray, Atlanta has just not lived up to the hype, and the team may undergo a complete rebuild similar to that of the 2022 Jazz.
The Lakers should avoid trading for Young despite the fact that he is an all-star and a well-known player in today’s game. The Hawks have struggled, and the team may be okay with parting ways with him in the offseason. Young is an exciting offensive player, and when he plays well, it can be a really great show to watch. However, the problem is that he demands a high usage rate, plays little defense, and isn’t all that efficient. Young plays highlight basketball at AAU levels, not winning basketball. Trading all of the team’s remaining assets and taking on that kind of contract for a guy who does not really correspond to winning basketball would be
Russell Westbrook performed this song and dance for us previously. Although Young is younger and a more proficient shooter than Russ, he would still have the same problems with ball sharing. If the Lakers want to win another championship, they shouldn’t be tying their fate to that.
