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The LA Lakers recently became the first-ever NBA In-Season Tournament (IST) champions. The Lakers were able to pull off this impressive feat, ranking fifth in the Western Conference.
Despite notching a significant accolade early in the season, the year is far from over, as the ultimate goal is still on the line, and that's the 2024 NBA title.
While it may be a good sign that the LA Lakers have found their rhythm as a unit, having won the NBA IST title, the Purple and Gold arguably still need to adjust their roster. At the end of the day, every team's goal is to win the NBA championship, and what better way to meet those aspirations than to have a completely balanced team?
With that said, let's look at three trades the Lakers organization could make before the trade deadline.
3 players the LA Lakers could trade for to improve their chances of winning
1) Alex Caruso
It has been rumored that the LA Lakers are interested in acquiring Chicago Bulls superstar Zach LaVine. However, the Lakers don't need another star player. At the moment, LA should focus on acquiring a solid role player who can provide both defense and offense.
If LA truly wishes to acquire someone from Chicago, the most logical choice would have to be Alex Caruso. AC is a former Laker himself who won the 2020 NBA championship alongside Anthony Davis and LeBron James. Caruso played a pivotal role in their title run, which is why many fans were thrown off when LA let him go.
Caruso is one of the league's best defenders today. His relentlessness and quick hands are exactly what the Lakers need heading into the playoffs.
In addition to his defense, AC shoots the ball efficiently from beyond the arc, with 46.4% from deep. Given how LA hit an all-time low in three-point shooting in their championship game against the Indian Pacers, having another efficient shooter in the squad seems practical.
2) Pascal Siakam
Over the summer, there have been several rumors that the Toronto Raptors may no longer want to build a team around Pascal Siakam. Having that said, trading the big man away would be the first logical step for the Raptors to take if they decide to rebuild. With that in mind, the LA Lakers could be the perfect destination for Siakam.
The Lakers are notorious for aggressively attempting to acquire star players. If they genuinely desire another star on their team, Pascal Siakam might just fit that bill.
LA currently lacks size with Anthony Davis playing in the center position. Davis isn't known to be a true center, which means having Siakam as their center would allow Davis to play his natural game as a forward.
3) DeMar DeRozan
DeMar DeRozan is in the final year of his contract with the Chicago Bulls. Before Russell Westbrook signed with the LA Lakers a couple of seasons ago, many speculated that DeRozan was LA-bound. Now that LA has more room for another star, it could be the perfect time to finally make things happen for DeRozan.
DeMar could provide efficient offense and ball handling for the Lakers while staying active on defense. Despite not winning the big one in his career yet, DeRozan has a champion's mentality, and that's very important if the Purple and Gold wish to win the 2024 title.
