Eric Gordon

Four players the Lakers should pursue at the 2022 trade deadline

Home » NBA » Los Angeles Lakers » Lakers trade deadline: Best Lakers trade ideas in 2022

As much as the fans would love the Lakers trade deadline 2022 to provide a major shake-up, that’s not likely to happen right now. Frank Vogel’s team is struggling and poorly built, and they’re in desperate need of help.

Lakers trade deadline 2022

To make things even worse, LeBron James got hurt again and will likely be sidelined for the next couple of weeks. The rest of his supporting cast has struggled to live up to the expectations, and no one seems safe at this point in the season.

Then again, there’s no reason to think any other team would do the Lakers any favors. If you take a look at the Lakers trade ideas around the web, you’ll realize that most of them are delusional and just not likely to happen any time soon.

The Lakers have been tied with Domantas Sabonis, Myles Turner, Ben Simmons, and Jerami Grant. But judging by the status of the team, the roster, and the few expendable assets they have, other teams don’t have the slightest incentive to get a deal done with them.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the only four players that the Lakers could realistically pursue among the best players available at 2022 NBA trade deadline. Spoiler alert: Lakers fans may not be pleased with this list at all.

       

4. Mo Bamba

The Orlando Magic have shown a willingness to trade Mo Bamba at the right price in the past. And besides a couple of strong games, it’s not like he’s done too much to change their minds this season. Then again, he’s still young and shows great promise as a rim protector.

Having Bamba next to Anthony Davis would give the Lakers a dominant duo in the paint to fix their terrible defense. Also, it would allow AD to avoid playing at the five, which he doesn’t like at all. Bamba is young and on a reasonable deal and would be an upgrade over this version of Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan.

3. Eric Gordon

The Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers reportedly engaged in trade talks for Russell Westbrook. But even if the Lakers trade Westbrook for John Wall, most of their issues will still be there. Instead, they need to target a sharpshooter and a guy who can create his own shot.

For that matter, they could take a risk on Eric Gordon, who’s shown no signs of slowing down over the years. The Rockets have no use for another veteran and he’d love to compete for a ring again. Notably, they would have to part ways with Talen Horton-Tucker to get it done.

       

2. Harrison Barnes

The latest Lakers trade news has them showing interest in Harrison Barnes and it’s a deal that makes a lot of sense.

The Sacramento Kings aren’t going anywhere and Barnes isn’t getting any younger. He’ll welcome a move to a contender as he looks to make the playoffs again.

Barnes is a versatile forward who can hold his own on defense and get to his spots on offense. Albeit not the superstar Lakers fans would want, he’s efficient and knows his role. He’s used to not being the primary scorer and wouldn’t mind taking a backseat to LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook.

1. Norman Powell

Talen Horton-Tucker has failed to step up in what was supposed to be his breakout season. Kendrick Nunn has yet to play, and Austin Reaves shows some promise but as nothing more than a role player. Thus, they should package all three of them and try to send them away to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Norman Powell has failed to keep his foot on the gas after a breakout season last year. But he’s still a versatile, streaky scorer who can get hot from all three levels. Also, the Blazers are likely to go through a panic sale at the trade deadline. He’d be a nice low-risk, high-reward pickup.

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