A round of new NBA rumors don’t give much hope that the Los Angeles Lakers will make major impact trades before the Feb. 6 trade deadline.
Heading into their game on Monday against the Charlotte Hornets, the Lakers have performed better than many pundits expected over the first few months of the season. In the summer they did not make any notable changes to the roster and instead felt a head coach switch would help elevate the team beyond being a play-in contender.
And despite the obvious learning curve any team goes through with a new head coach, Los Angeles enters the week with a 25-18 record and a top-five spot in the Western Conference. Yet, even before the season, the Lakers have been linked to a boatload of trade rumors. Specifically for an upgrade at the center spot.
However, several reports this week paint a worrisome picture about the chances of the organization making a meaningful trade in the next couple of weeks.
- Los Angeles Lakers record: 25-18
Los Angeles Lakers not expected to trade for Nikola Vucevic or Jakob Poetl
Jarred Vanderbilt is a respected member of the roster and has a good reputation around the game due to his strong defense. However, in his two-and-a-half years in LA, he has constantly battled injuries. He has only suited up once for the team this season. He was viewed as a player that could be a nice chip to throw in potential trades. But it seems his recent injury history has badly damaged his trade value.
In a new video post, The Athletic Lakers insider Jovan Buha claimed that if the team wanted to move Vanderbilt, they would need to attach a first-round pick to get it done. The 25-year-old’s contract and injury record were mentioned as the major reason why other teams wouldn’t be “gnawing at themselves” to acquire him a trade.
Yet, that is not where the bad news stops. On Monday, NBA insider Marc Stein revealed a disappointing update on the team’s pursuit of getting the front-court help Anthony Davis reportedly wants.
- Los Angeles Lakers future draft picks: 2025 – two second-rounders, 2026 – one first-rounder, 2028 – one first-rounder, 2029 – one first-rounder, 2030 – one first-rounder
“League sources stressed over the weekend that the Lakers are not expected to join the hunt for either [Nikola] Vučević or Toronto’s Jakob Poeltl,” Stein wrote. “While oft-suggested Lakers target Walter Kessler of the Utah Jazz is believed to be as close to unavailable as it gets with less than 10 days before the trade deadline on Feb. 6.”
There have been rumblings the Lakers won’t force any big trades this season. But these reports make it seem like the club is unlikely to make any meaningful move before the deadline.