Those kinds of moments! The Timberwolves and @youthlinkmn pulled off another fantastic coat drive! Thanks for the chances to help out

Problems with key players are limiting the Los Angeles Lakers’ ability to win. Even if LeBron James and Anthony Davis are playing at a high level and producing as expected, their team is currently 18-19 and is no longer in contention for a playoff spot in the Western Conference. Adding a superstar player may not be enough to warrant a big deal, particularly while LeBron and AD continue to project as top-10 players in the league.

Following the victory over the Clippers, Darvin Ham’s employment appears secure, mostly due to the backing he receives from Jeanie Buss. Rather than attempting to finish the season with a new coach, the Lakers should probably trade for someone who can fit in with him. The Lakers’ success last year was due to their depth, therefore they should try to replicate that success this year by negotiating a trade with the struggling Portland Trail Blazers to acquire some of their older players.

The following players were named trailblazers: D’Angelo Russell, Jalen Hood-Schifino, Gabe Vincent, Rui Hachimura, The 2025 and 2027 Second-Round Picks are LAC and LAL, respectively.

Jerami Grant, Malcolm Brogdon, and Rayan Rupert are now Lakers players.

The Lakers gain two seasoned players who could help LeBron and AD, and the Blazers get some salary freedom and a bunch of assets they can use or trade for. Prior to January 15, the trade cannot be finalized.

Pioneers Entrust Their Young Core Members with Keys

No one will sаy the Blazers are good right now, but they are a fun young squad. They appear to be the Western Conference’s bottom feeders and might learn from the OKC Thunder’s three-year rebuild by putting all their eggs in the basket with a young team and watching them grow. While Scoot Henderson and Anfernee Simons are losing playing time to Malcolm Brogdon, Jerami Grant’s long-term deal could serve as a foundation.

Throughout the season, D’Angelo Russell has averaged 14.7 points and 6.1 assists, while Rui Hachimura has averaged 11.6 points and 3.6 rebounds. Although he probably won’t be around for the long haul, Russell may spend the rest of the season in Portland before being traded in the summer due to his expiring contract. The Blazers may look to Hachimura, a young player at 24 years old, to bolster their frontcourt after losing Grant and suffering from a lack of depth.

As a veteran backup to starters Simons, Shaedon Sharpe, and Scoot, Gabe Vincent is an excellent choice for the defense. Despite his ιnjury struggles this season, he might provide vital experience to the Blazers’ guards and is signed to a reasonable short-term deal. As a young player with promising potential, Jalen Hood-Schifino adds depth to their guard corps and might be valuable to Portland in the future.

Veteran Spectators Get Involved Vincent has been out with an ιnjury and has failed to impress in his five games played this season, while D’Angelo Russell was supposedly considered a trade chip early in the season in Los Angeles. They may get valuable veteran rotational pieces if they traded for them and used a young asset like Schifino instead of a pick. This could be a means to end the relationship with Hachimura, who has been one of the players dissatisfied with Darvin Ham, although he is the largest loss on paper.

For the Lakers, having these players back is a huge boon. This season, Jerami Grant has proven himself to be one of the league’s most reliable two-way forwards with an average of 21.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists. He may be theirs in exchange for a less-than-desirable deal that safeguards future trade assets. Coming off a season in which he was awarded Boston’s Sixth Man of the Year, Brogdon is averaging 15.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 5.4 assists. He is a versatile experienced guard option, just the type of player that Ham loves.

Without Vincent, the Lakers lacked competent depth at guard, but with Brogdon and Austin Reaves, their rotation will be more balanced and complementing. Since the two-way signing of Skylar Mays has already begun the process of adding a third guard for Los Angeles, it would be vital to make the appropriate signing off the free agent market.

The Lakers Make Significant Improvements Without Going All-In

Given the Lakers’ shaky future following the LeBron and AD era, their future draft choices should be valued highly. They almost certainly will have to trade Zach LaVine or Dejounte Murray if they want to acquire a top target. In exchange for two established contributors who can work with the Lakers’ current roster, they trade out underachieving players. The only way to ensure Darvin Ham’s continued success is to provide him with players he might be able to put to better use.

Since the Blazers paid Grant a huge salary in the hopes that Damian Lillard would remain, they stand to lose a significant amount of money in the long run as a result of this transaction. They have already abandoned Nurkic, so moving on to Grant is the logical next step. Even if this gаmble doesn’t pan out, the Lakers should be prepared to absorb the financial blоw to their deal in the hopes of trading him later on.

Because there appears to be an overwhelming number of issues in Los Angeles, pinpointing them might be challenging. Darvin Ham showed his usefulness in the In-Season Tournament and towards the end of last season, thus it could be worthwhile for them to cut ties with this unstable core of players and try a new approach with Darvin Ham.