Fresh off the Los Angeles Lakers getting blown out by the Philadelphia 76ers by 44, it seems like LeBron James has sent a warning to the rest of his roster saying that he doesn't know if the rest of the team likes losing in this fashion. To be clear, no player who has reached the NBA likes losing at all but this was the biggest loss of LeBron's career and he has a history of pushing for trades when his team struggling.
This comment from the former MVP has certainly sparked rumors that the team could end up making major moves before the trade deadline.
The Lakers aren't in a horrible spot as the team is pretty good but suffers from a lack of offensive creation outside of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. L.A is also missing two suitable point guards who can play in the playoffs and a backup big.
L.A. has already been linked to Zach LaVine as the trade market for the All-Star starts to heat up amid a lot of losses and dissatisfaction in Chicago. Of course, the Lakers can't really make any moves before Dec. 15, when players who were signed in the offseason first become eligible to be traded.
Also, the team can only offer one outright first-round at the end of the decade and two first-round swaps, due to previous trades. With all of that in mind, what kind of deals can the Lakers make before the trade deadline?
What deals can the Lakers and LeGM make before the deadline?
With the team being heavily linked to Zach LaVine, it is likely that the Lakers will sniff around a deal for a scoring machine. A possible deal could include D'Angelo Russell, Jalen Hood-Schifino, Gabe Vincent, Taurean Prince, an end-of-decade first-round pick, and one or two swaps.
While LaVine isn't a point guard, he could end up moving the ball around on the offensive end. Of course, the Lakers wouldn't be able to make any other moves if they ended up trading for LaVine and should probably look to make other smaller moves instead. One option could be trading for Alex Caruso who would probably still cost a first-round pick or two but would probably only require Schifino, Prince for a matching salary.
The Lakers could end up using the swap that the team didn't end up trading for a backup big or guard which could fit the team's other need. Whatever ends up happening, it's clear that LeBron is not happy and changes could be coming.
