If the Los Angeles Lakers want to seriously compete for the NBA title this season, they may need to add some roster additions. Although they have an 18-7 record and are fourth in the Western Conference, many believe they are still a little short of a true championship-caliber team.
What the Lakers need is more perimeter defense, three-point shooting, speed and athleticism to put themselves in the lead. The New Orleans Pelicans have reportedly called the New Orleans Pelicans about Herbert Jones and Trey Murphy III, but at this point, the Pelicans don’t appear to be interested in trading either player.
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Overall, Los Angeles is looking for young 3-and-D players, according to NBA insider Marc Stein’s Substack.
“League sources say the Lakers are naturally hoping to enter the 3-and-D market this trade season, but that market is currently very limited, led primarily by Sacramento’s Keon Ellis, even though Ellis is averaging seven fewer minutes per game this season under Kings head coach Doug Christie than last season.
“We mentioned the other day that the Pelicans were going to insist on parting ways with Herb Jones for a significant amount of money. That price point was considered to be beyond the Lakers’ current trade leverage.
“Generally, though, my interpretation of the Lakers’ preference is that they want to target players in the same age range as stars Luka Doncic (26) and Austin Reeves (27) as they continue to build their roster around them, rather than giving up major trade assets for players in their thirties. This was the approach they took in the offseason, when the Lakers assigned the mid-level exception to Deandre Ayton (27) and Jake Laravia (24).”
It’s unclear what 3-and-D players will be acquired via trade this winter. Monday, Dec. 15 is the first day that most offseason signings can be included in deals. This season has almost reached the point where teams have had enough game sample space to realistically assess their strengths and their needs in terms of roster improvements.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Insider: Lakers looking to enter ‘3-D market’ this trade season