NBA Insider Drops Massive Truth Bomb on Lakers Trade Activities: “They Just Don’t Have Tradable Assets”

Adrian Wojnarowski, a.k.a. Woj, spoke on ESPN’s NBA Today and claimed that the Los Angeles Lakers are without any tradable assets. Consequently, “their improvement will have to come from within,” said Woj. The premise behind this claim is that there are very few sellers in the market. As a result, the sellers will only deal with those teams which can give them better consideration than others.

“I think for the most part, the Lakers improvement is going to have to come from within. They just don’t have tradable assets. Especially with so few sellers in the market, there are going to be other teams who can offer those select few sellers better offers than the Lakers will be able to.”

The Lakers, despite having multiple stars, do not have a lot of flexibility in terms of selling options. It is difficult to imagine a trade involving LeBron James and Anthony Davis as they are the stars of the team. Moreover, the recent acquisition of Russell Westbrook means that they do not have a lot of spending capacity, so their salary budget is insufficient for a big star.

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Who are Lakers’ potential trade targets?

The Lakers have been showing interest in the acquisition of Ben Simmons and Jeremy Grant reportedly. However, both of these trades qualify as major acquisitions. So it’s tough to imagine how Pelinka could strike a deal that benefits both parties.

The Lakers will be unable to match Simmons’ contract of more than $33 million for the 2021-22 season unless they are ready to part ways with one of their Big 3. However, Grant’s annual salary is slightly over $20 million, but the Lakers won’t be the only team inquiring about his availability.

Because of the Lakers’ lack of compelling assets, the rest of the possible suitors should be able to easily outbid any Lakers offer. Furthermore, a blockbuster trade involving a third team is highly unlikely as they involve a lot of complications and the deadline is approaching fast.

What do they have to offer?

Practically, Rob Pelinka, the Lakers’ GM, only has a few options available to trade with. Their most valuable tradable asset might be Talen Horton-Tucker, who only makes $9.5 million. Further, he is only 21, so he may be an excellent addition to a developing squad.

The Lakers gave away almost all of their draft picks to acquire Anthony Davis. And since the Stepien Rule prohibits organizations from trading their first-round selections in consecutive years, they will not be allowed to send one out before 2027.

The Lakers do not have a lot of time to decide as their trade deadline is approaching fast on February 10th. Let us know what you think in the comments.

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