The Los Angeles Lakers, currently 18-7 and sitting fourth in the Western Conference, are surveying the trade market for youthful 3-and-D talent, league sources told journalist Marc Stein.
Why Los Angeles is shopping
Twenty-five games into the schedule, the Lakers trail second place by just half a game, yet several metrics hint at underlying concerns. Their 1.5 net rating ranks 14th in the NBA and would be only seventh in the West, driven largely by a defense that sits 20th overall. With Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves and LeBron James forming an offense-first core, club executives believe additional perimeter stoppers are essential for a deep postseason run.
The preferred profile
According to Stein, vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka is prioritizing players who match the ages of Dončić (26) and Reaves (27) rather than veterans in their thirties. The approach mirrors the offseason, when Los Angeles divided its mid-level exception between Deandre Ayton (27) and Jake LaRavia (24).
Top names on the board
The limited pool of available 3-and-D pieces is said to be “headlined” by Sacramento Kings guard Keon Ellis. Although Ellis is logging seven fewer minutes per game this year under head coach Doug Christie than he did a season ago, multiple teams are expected to inquire about his availability.
New Orleans Pelicans wing Herb Jones remains the Lakers’ preferred option, but the Pelicans would reportedly demand a “significant haul.” Los Angeles owns only one first-round pick that can be traded during the current season, making a deal for Jones unlikely without additional assets.
What comes next
Team officials are expected to explore smaller-scale moves if elite options prove unattainable. Even one or two rotational defenders could balance a lineup in which Dončić and Reaves are already displaying top-tier offensive chemistry while LeBron James continues integrating into new roles alongside Rui Hachimura and Ayton.
With the trade deadline still weeks away, the front office is weighing cost-effective upgrades rather than headline-grabbing pursuits, especially as rival franchises monitor the uncertain future of Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Source: Lakers Nation
