Although they didn’t make a blockbuster trade this offseason, the Lakers won’t necessarily stick with their current roster for the entire 2022/23 season. Still, it will probably be at least a few weeks before we can expect the trade market to heat up for the team, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said during a Wednesday appearance on NBA Countdown (video link).
“I’m told to expect Rob Pelinka and the Lakers to wait until post-Thanksgiving, 20 games into the season,” Wojnarowski said. “And see what teams may start pivoting who don’t start off well, who decide that they may start to unload players and perhaps get involved in the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes.”
As Wojnarowski explains, there have been more buyers than sellers at the deadline during the last couple seasons since so many teams were still within reach of the play-in tournament. But the expectation in 2022/23 is that several of the clubs in the bottom half of the standings might be more inclined to prioritize their lottery position in order to chase Wembanyama instead of trying to sneak into the play-in tournament.
If and when that shift occurs, the Lakers could revisit the marketplace to see what Russell Westbrook‘s expiring $47MM contract and their 2027 and/0r 2029 first-round picks might get them.
“There were so many buyers the last couple years. The expectation is there will be more sellers this year. You’ll start to see the asking price in trades go down. It’s supply and demand,” Wojnarowski said. “So expect the Lakers really to get to that 20-game point where teams kind of reach an inflection point about how they want to proceed, and then see what might really be available to help improve this Lakers team.”
Wojnarowski’s report makes sense, but it’s also entirely in line with how the NBA’s trade market usually develops during the season. Pre-Thanksgiving deals are always rare.
The last time two teams made an in-season trade prior to Thanksgiving was back in 2018, when Jimmy Butler was sent from Minnesota to Philadelphia — and that deal was only completed so early because the Timberwolves’ situation, beginning in training camp, was deemed untenable, with Butler aggressively pushing for a deal.
While the Lakers may feel increasing urgency to make a change to their roster if they get off to a slow start this season, they’re not yet nearly as desperate to make a deal as those 2018 Wolves were.
You have to have something somebody wants to make a trade
Their blocks are already busted.
AKA… Rus Westbrook… now that is a very valuable asset!
aren’t they best off just letting Westbrook expire and signing ppl in the offseason with the savings?
They HAVE to fake like they are trying to contend this year, when since day 1 of offseason they had zero chance of keeping both Bron+AD and having a roster long enough to win 40+. They still do not have that roster.
The Lakers don’t need to make a trade for the sake of making a trade.
Nope. They would lose most of that salary space if not all because they are so far over the cap right now.
Westbrook is not the problem.
Lakers need top bench like this
Mavs bench
Dinwiddie
Wood
Hardaway
Kieber
Bertan
McGee
Clippers bench
Norman Powell
Covington
Luke Kenard
John Wall
Terrace Mann
The Dallas Mavericks started both JaVale McGee and Spencer Dinwiddie. Get your facts right before you talk about my Lakers.
GoKu- Very likely yes
A’s fan- Troll
Will- Um No
Silly- You do have a point in there
Westbrook for Conley
Lakers wish
Terrible trade. Conley overpaid and washed up
Thomas, it’s time to admit this situation has become untenable.
What? It’s very tenable. It’s the most tenable situation I’ve ever…tended over…
Lebron averaging 30 a game on a 30 win team is his perfect fate. That’s who he is: the worst team player in history.
“the worst team player in history”
You think?
Hot take sir.
Anyways why do we care about a 30-40 win team so much?
I dont. I just get amused by hypebole.
You sound like a extreme hater. LeBron James is one of the most unselfish superstars to ever play the game.
Y’all need to find something better to do than hate on LeBron James!!!
All he’s done his bless us with his greatness for 20 years. The man ain’t stopping either.
He’s going to have another great season and become the All Time Leading Scorer in the history of the game and the guy has a pass first mentality. You can’t tell me that ain’t great.
You sound like a extreme hater. LeBron James is one of the most unselfish superstars to ever play the game.
Y’all need to find something better to do than hate on LeBron James!!!
All he’s done his bless us with his greatness for 20 years. The man ain’t stopping either.
He’s going to have another great season and become the All Time Leading Scorer in the history of the game and the guy has a pass first mentality. You can’t tell me that ain’t great.
The Los Angeles Lakers will win more than 30 games this season
How does a team draft and sign draft free agents this well, and only have LeBron and Anthony Davis left on the roster with no real help? LeBron joined the roster as a free agent. No assets moved.
Julius Randle
D’Angelo Russell
Lonzo Ball
Brandon Ingram
Kyle Kuzma
Ivica Zubic
Jordan Clarkson
Josh Hart
Alex Caruso
Larry Nance
Julius Randle? Wtf?
The rate of good rotation players Lakers picked and developed in late 1 round and even 2 round is higher than almost any team in NBA the last 5-6 years, too bad they made that idiotic Russ trade (which was LeBron’s and Klutch’s decision)
They should just keep their draft picks and not trade anyone unless they can bring draft picks back. There is not 1 player they could trade for which will make them a playoff team.
He looks like Rob Lowe in that picture
Westbrook isn’t the problem. It’s Lebron
A mere forty-eight minutes of basketball is all it took for the 2022-23 incarnation of the Lakers to realize that they’re trash. As a lifelong Celtics fan, I’m loving this.
Enjoy tatum. He’s a great player. So great, lakers should go after him when he’s a free agent. Which they will
Enjoy dreaming about signing Tatum years down the road.
Look at his backstory. Dont be so
Quick to blow that off. Kobe was his guy and lakers were his team.
Something that might happen years down the road?
I can blow that off quickly all day.
The Lakers and the rest of the world knew LeBron was coming to the L.A. The Lakers then drafted a point guard, Lonzo Ball instead of Jayson Tatum. The Lakers have been excellent in the draft. This was a HUGE blunder when Lonzo doesn’t work with someone ball dominant like LeBron.
The rumor is magic wanted fox and jeanie buss wanted ball due to box office and local kid.
I don’t think the Los Angeles Lakers going to make any trades until December 15th.
Russell Westbrook played good the first game of the season.
They have assets some teams might want:
– An expiring contract of 47 million
– 7,5 million in cash to send out
– 2 1st round picks
Big contracts that could be in the mix in a multi-team trade for Westbrook:
– Gordon / Houston
– Fournier & Randle / Knicks
– Horford / Boston (if injured)
– White / Boston
– Irving, Simmons & Harris / Nets
– Hayward & Rozier / Charlotte
– Hield, Turner & Theis / Indiana
– Lopez / Bucks (if injured)
– T Harris / Philly
– Danny Green / Memphis
– Ayton, Saric and Crowder / Suns
– Grant / Portland
– Utah: big aggregate salary: Conley, Clarkson, Olynyk, Gay (and maybe Sexton, Markannen or Beasley if good value)
You might see for example Westbrook going to Utah, with then Conley, Clarkson, Olynyk and Gay being traded for other assets, making that a Gordon, Theis and Hield combination goes to the Lakers.
Or more complex, but the players above seem to be players that are not crucial for their owners and represent enough salary to be in the discussions. For players such as Simmons, the return might have to be big.
Don’t look now, but the Lakers are off to a slow start already.
im under the impression that bron should be the one who changes his game for this to work. have him play off ball instead of russ. but we know he would never do that. why should russ?