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The LA Lakers are reportedly one of several teams monitoring the Toronto Raptors’ trade activity as it could have a domino effect around the league.
In other news, the Lakers’ front office has reportedly been advised not to trade their future draft picks in an attempt to contend this season.
On that note, here are the latest rumors surrounding the LA Lakers as of Jan. 5, 2023.
Toronto Raptors' activity in trade market could affect Purple and Gold
The Toronto Raptors are in the middle of a disappointing season. They own a 16-22 record and sit 12th in the Eastern Conference following their surprise 48-win season last year.
Toronto’s regression has led many to believe that the team could opt to blow up their roster and rebuild around rising star forward Scottie Barnes. As a result, multiple teams around the league are keeping an eye on which direction the Raptors decide to go in, including the LA Lakers.
In his recent report, SportsNet’s Michael Grange relayed what one league source told him regarding Toronto being the first domino in the trade market.
"Toronto are the first domino," the source said.
"What they do will affect teams all across the league. Dallas, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Atlanta – not that it's about deals with any particular team, just that people are going to be waiting to see what the Raptors do before they make their moves. Toronto could set the market."
If the Raptors decide to rebuild, any of their core veteran players could be on the move. This includes All-Stars Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet, as well as two-way wings OG Anunoby and Gary Trent Jr.
Each of those players could give contenders a strong boost if they were to acquire them.
However, it remains to be seen if the LA Lakers have their sights set on any Raptors player in particular. So far, there haven't been any substantial trade rumors linking LA to any of the four aforementioned players.
The Lakers may just be waiting on Toronto to make moves so they can proceed to negotiate trades with other teams that are also waiting on the Raptors.
The Feb. 9 trade deadline is still over a month away, so the Toronto Raptors still have plenty of time to decide which direction to go in.
For more on the possibility of the Raptors blowing up their roster, click here.
LA Lakers’ front office advised not to trade the team's picks
Many rebuilding teams have been eager to acquire the LA Lakers’ 2027 and 2029 first-round draft picks via trade. The picks represent the Lakers’ best available trade assets at their disposal, outside of possibly trading one of their star players.
So naturally, with the team looking to contend, the picks have been a topic of conversation for a while now.
However, the Lakers have so far been reluctant to offer their picks in any trade negotiations. According to NBA insider Howard Beck, this could be because LA’s front office has been advised not to trade them.
During a recent episode of "The Crossover" podcast, Beck broke down the rumors that have been circulating regarding the LA Lakers' front office:
“And I’ve heard rumblings — and they’re only rumblings, so I don’t want people to go too far with this or go crazy with the aggregation — but a couple of people around the league have told me in recent weeks that they believe that the front office has essentially been told not to trade the picks, that they’re guarding those.”
The Lakers are in a tough spot at the moment. They own a 17-21 record, good enough for only 12th place in the Western Conference. Darvin Ham's team has also dealt with numerous injuries this season, most notably to star forward Anthony Davis, who remains out with a foot injury.
So there is no guarantee that trading their picks for reinforcements will help them contend for a championship this season.
Additionally, their other star forward, LeBron James, is already 38, meaning the LA Lakers may not have a long window to contend beyond this season either. So in the end, the Lakers might opt to prioritize their future over going all-in on trying to win now.
For more on LA's reluctance to trade their picks, click here.
NBA insider thinks LeBron James would push for a trade if he could
According to NBA insider Ethan Skolnick, LeBron James may no longer be happy staying with the LA Lakers. Skolnick even believes that James would request a trade out of LA before the trade deadline if he had the option to be traded.
“I honestly believe that if he could be traded before the trade deadline, which he can’t be, he might be pushing for that behind the scenes right now,” he said.
Skolnick added that while James won't be traded, he would still like to see him return to the Cleveland Cavaliers or the Miami Heat to finish his career.
“But he can’t, so that’s not an option. … He should be finishing his career in a place like Cleveland or Miami… and try to finish up and win there. If the Lakers don’t want him, somebody else with take him. And it does not seem to me like they want him,” he said.
Most have assumed that "King James," who signed a two-year extension in August last year, will retire in LA as his family has roots there. However, James may not want to waste the final years of his legendary career on a lottery team.
So if the Lakers don’t improve their roster, it would be understandable if the four-time champion wants to move on.
