NBA pre-season bold predictions: The Los Angeles Lakers will be a contender

The Los Angeles Lakers need to make some moves

Let’s be real, the Los Angeles Lakers won’t be able to keep the roster as is and compete in the Western Conference. That’s not what this bold prediction is about. If the Lakers are going to compete in the West, they’re going to need to make a few moves before they get to that place.

And one of them includes trading Russell Westbrook, which should come as a surprise to no one. The Lakers don’t necessarily need to target a star in return. This team, with LeBron and AD, is talented enough that they don’t “need” a star to compete. If they can get a key contributor or two, that would be enough for the Lakers to trade Russ and two of their future first-round picks.

But this is likely something that needs to happen sooner rather than later and I’m not quite sure if they’ll be able to make it happen that quickly. Nevertheless, before the NBA Trade Deadline, the Lakers need to trade Russ in a move that will upgrade the roster.

It’s a tall task to accomplish, but something that needs to be done if the Lakers are going to compete in the West this season.