Los Angeles Lakers
After a surprisingly good start to the season in which the Los Angeles Lakers have found themselves just a half-game out of the top seed in the Western Conference, this is a team whose front office has to be looking for options to improve. If the Lakers can continue to win at this pace, this is a team that could be looking to make a move or two at the NBA Trade Deadline to help them emerge as a legit championship contender in the conference. If so, one move that the Lakers may want to consider is one for Cam Thomas.
Even though the Lakers have already moved D'Angelo Russell to a similar role as what you would expect Thomas to fill for the team, I don't believe they should completely discount the possibility of making a deal - especially if there's any belief that Thomas is a better option off the bench than Russell. And he might be based on his overall offensive ability. The Lakers desperately need a center but they also have the second-worst scoring bench unit in the league. At this point, both appear to be big needs for the team.
What role Cam Thomas would play
The Lakers could theoretically bring Thomas off the bench or even give him the opportunity to start next to Austin Reaves in an attempt to take some of the pressure off of Dalton Knecht, which they might have to do anyway by the end of the season. Thomas, if nothing else, would give the Lakers flexibility and options that they don't currently have on their roster. The Lakers could be looking for a mid-season jolt around the trade deadline. Thomas may not the their prototypical trade deadline target, but he certainly offers value.
What makes this deal even more complicated is his contract situation. If the Lakers are going to use any of their last trade assets, they're going to want some long-term value. That means if this deal were to go through, the Lakers would almost certainly have to view Thomas as a long-term fit for the team. And for as great of a player as Thomas may be, I'm not sure how great of a long-term fit he would be on the roster.