NBA Trade Rumors: 5 playoff hopefuls that should buy at the deadline

Los Angeles Lakers

Let’s start with the NBA’s golden boys, shall we? The Lakers have been a mess this season. They are eighth in the West, and one game under .500. Yes, they have dealt with injuries and absences throughout the season. There is not a team this year that cannot make that claim, however.

The Lakers fall into the “need all the help they can get” spectrum of buyers. LeBron James has been transcendent yet again. Austin Reaves has been another find by this Lakers’ scouting department. Malik Monk is a thing, and you should all have known that.

The good things end there, unfortunately. Anthony Davis has been banged up throughout the year and has gone through inconsistencies when on the court. The veterans are nice pieces, but clunky fits. Frank Vogel is going to end up the scapegoat for this, but Rob Pelinka and LeBron deserve a lot of flack for this roster construction.

So what can the Lakers do? Truthfully, not much. Unless a team is sold on Talen Horton Tucker (spoiler alert: no one is), the Lakers have no blue-chip trade assets. That is not going to keep them from trying. They reportedly offered two second-rounders for Cam Reddish before the Knicks landed him.

The best player the Lakers can realistically land is Eric Gordon. That might even be a stretch. Whatever they can do, the Lakers should. Something needs to change in LA.