The Los Angeles Lakers’ quarterfinal In-Season Tournament matchup with the Phoenix Suns on December 5th is undoubtedly their main concern. However, the front office must also look to the future.
Simply put, they don’t need to move quickly to get things done.
The Lakers intend to approach the trade market cautiously, according to a December 2 article by Jovan Buha of The Athletic. “They’re still assessing their needs and will keep an eye on the league, including any fire sales that may occur in Toronto, Washington, Utah, Brooklyn, or Charlotte and result in the availability of valuable rotation players.
Several Lakers players are ineligible for a trade until December 15 and even January 15. That potentially puts a damper on any trade plans.
As with last season, when they acquired Hachimura a few weeks ahead of schedule, there’s always a chance they make a move before the deadline in February, according to Buha. It is highly probable that a trade will occur later in the trading window rather than earlier.
The Lakers are reportedly interested in Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Alex Caruso of the Chicago Bulls. Buha has previously reported on this. According to reports, Caruso is especially desirable because of his championship record with the Lakers. But which of the players on the teams Buha listed are the Lakers potentially targets in the future?
Top Prospective “Fire Sale” Teams’ Targets
Just the Brooklyn Nets (10-9) are one of the teams Buha mentioned that has a winning record before the IST quarterfinal stages. If Nets swingman Mikal Bridges were ever available, he would be highly sought after, but it’s not clear the Lakers have the resources to prevail in the bidding battle that would guarantee his availability.
