Tuesday brought chaos to Los Angeles- Hollywood hills as a wildfire ripped through neighborhoods famous for housing Tinseltown’s elite. Fueled by fierce winds sweeping across Southern California, the fire spread rapidly, forcing panicked residents to abandon their cars and make a run for their lives when roads became impassable. That’s the reality for roughly 30,000 people now under evacuation orders! Among those who have been evacuated are Lakers‘ head coach JJ Redick’s family.

Before his team faced the Mavericks in Dallas, the head coach shared a heartfelt message.

“I want to take a moment to send thoughts and prayers to everyone in the Palisades right now. That’s where my family and I live. My wife’s family and her twin sister have already evacuated,” JJ Redick said during Tuesday’s media session. “I know a lot of people are freaking out right now, including my own family. From the sound of things with the winds coming tonight. I know a lot of people are scared, so I just want to acknowledge that and thoughts and prayers for sure.” he further added.

Officials are still investigating the fire’s cause, and thankfully, they have not reported any injuries so far. Governor Gavin Newsom sent out a warning to Southern California residents, strongly urging them not to let their guard down. The worst winds are expected between 10 p.m. Tuesday and 5 a.m. Wednesday, so this catastrophe is far from over.

Forecasters predict it will last several days, bringing gusts up to 100 mph in the mountains and foothills. The National Weather Service is calling it one of the strongest Santa Ana windstorms in over ten years, hitting both Los Angeles and Ventura counties! But while LA continues to battle the wildfires, the Lakers cannot stop fighting their own battle.

The Lakers still need more help, DFS isn’t enough for JJ Redick

The Lakers made a strong early-season move by acquiring Dorian Finney-Smith, and it’s already paying off. While it’s still early, his impact on both ends of the floor has been noticeable, showing he’ll be a key player for their playoff push.

However, the Lakers aren’t resting on their laurels. They’ve made it clear they plan to evaluate their roster further and may still make a move. Despite Finney-Smith’s addition, the Lakers are 2-2 with him on the floor, highlighting their need for more improvements.

The team has some trade assets, including Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt, Gabe Vincent, and Max Christie, who could help match salaries or provide young talent for rebuilding teams, especially if they explore trading rookie Dalton Knecht.

But according to unnamed NBA executives, the Lakers haven’t shown interest in serious trade talks yet.

As Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus shared, “Competing executives have also told Bleacher Report that the Lakers (at least to date) have shown no interest in discussing trades that include Rui Hachimura or Dalton Knecht.”

The Lakers’ remaining trade options are limited to Vanderbilt and Vincent, who both make over $10 million, with DFS and Shake Milton off-limits until after February 6. They also have only two first-round picks available (2029 and 2031), so pulling off a big trade won’t be easy.

The JJ Redick-led side has been linked to players like Jimmy Butler, Brandon Ingram, and Cameron Johnson, but without giving up valuable assets, don’t expect much action before spring.