Los Angeles Lakers Need to Explore Trades to Improve Future Prospects
Soobum Im – USA TODAY Sports
The Los Angeles Lakers have lost Steve Nash, Julius Randle and now possibly Kobe Bryant for the rest of the season. There wasn’t much hope at the beginning of the year, but with Bryant and Nash, there was an outside shot that they would field a competitive team. Unfortunately, the Lakers have struggled and are looking at finishing with one of the worse records in the league.
The good news is that the Lakers can keep their draft pick next season if it remains in the top five. The team does not have much of a chance to salvage the season, and should look to add assets by trading away several players who could help a contending team.
L.A. will have a decent amount of salary cap space next season, and could have even more if Bryant decides to retire. They will likely be able to go after at least one max-level player, but more importantly, should be able to find nice pieces to improve the depth on their roster. They have done well with their limited resources the past two seasons in finding players on bargain deals, but it is clear that they will not be a playoff contender unless they improve the talent.
The Lakers are now in a position where they can trade away certain players and try to add future draft picks. The team spent years trading away first-round picks to add to their championship-caliber roster as they were chasing titles, but it hurt the organization in the long run. Good teams have been able to retool by drafting intelligently and having solid role players on rookie contracts. The Lakers should look to make a move before the trade deadline, as plenty of teams are one or two players away from being legitimate title contenders.
Players such as Jeremy Lin and Jordan Hill can add value to a team as a role player. They have been thrust into large roles on the Lakers, but could produce more efficient results on the right team.
In return, the organization could look to stockpile draft picks and maybe add a young player or two. The Lakers might not be great the rest of the season, but they should look to improve their prospects for the future as they hope to get back to the top.
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