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The Los Angeles Lakers have demonstrated during the first 25 games of the season that they are now competitive team.
After the summer arrival of superstar LeBron James, the Lakers started the season badly, although they have since found a winning mentality, and currently sit 5th in the Western Conference standings.
Despite this, Magic Johnson and Lakers executives are known to be in the market for additions, and one of these looks to be 33-year-old Trevor Ariza, who seems set to join the team in the upcoming days.
Nevertheless, Ariza does not look to be the only addition, as the Lakers still want a second All-Star to partner with LeBron James.
The franchise would have to offload a number of players to pull off a move like this, so here we will examine the members of the Lakers roster that are in danger of being traded away this month.
#3 Michael Beasley
The Lakers signed Beasley to a one-year, $3.5 million contract back in July, and the team's acquisition reunited LeBron with a teammate that he was impressed with during their time together with the Miami Heat. The 29-year-old was coming off one of the best seasons of his career with the New York Knicks, however, Beasley missed the majority of the early stages of the season through personal issues.
Beasley has struggled to find a place in Luke Walton's rotation since then, and he is averaging a career-low 7.1 minutes-per-game. Despite the lack of opportunities, Beasley has impressed during his brief time on the court, and the player will likely attract interest from playoff-chasing teams around the NBA. Interested teams are not likely to offer much in return for Beasley, although the forward clearly has no future in Los Angeles, and will likely move on in the next few weeks.
#2 Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
There were high expectations among Lakers fans when Kentavious Caldwell-Pope landed in Los Angeles back in 2017. Caldwell-Pope arrived as a young talent, who had already established himself as a starter, capable of being effective on both ends of the court. The shooting guards first season in LA was also promising, as the 25-year-old was a regular starter, and he averaged 13.4 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.
Despite this, Caldwell-Pope has lost his starting place since the arrival of LeBron James, and he is no longer a valuable player to the team. The former Pistons man is averaging just 21.6 minutes from the bench, and his points-per-game total has fallen to a near career-low of 8.6.
Magic Johnson and the Lakers reportedly see the point guard as expendable, and he is likely to be a necessary sacrifice so the franchise can bring in new players. The Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder appear to be interested in acquiring the player, so it is highly unlikely that Caldwell-Pope will still be a Lakers man come January.
#1 Rajon Rondo
Rajon Rondo is currently out with an injury to his hand, although the Lakers have not missed the 32-year-old. Lonzo Ball has performed well in Rondo's absence, and it remains to be seen if the former Pelicans man will return to the starting lineup once he recovers from injury.
Rondo is widely known as one of the best playmakers in the NBA, however, his most notable moment in a Lakers came when he was suspended for spitting at Houston Rockets guard, Chris Paul. His production of 8.5 points and 6.5 assists per game, is below what the Lakers expected, and if Lonzo Ball keeps up his current form, it looks as though Rondo has no way back to the starting five.
The veteran playmaker is only signed to a one year $9 million deal, so the Lakers may ultimately look to trade Rondo this month, in order to get something in return.
