Key Trade Lakers Should Make To Boost Their Title Chances

LA should be looking to pull the trigger on this trade.

Your 16-14 Los Angeles Lakers's 2023-24 NBA season hasn't gone exactly the way anyone would have planned so far, but they have kept themselves alive in the Western Conference standings. Despite all of the injury issues that this team has dealt with this season, they have shown their toughness to stay afloat.

But the team will likely need to make some moves at the trade deadline this season. They have been linked with All-Star guard Zach LaVine from the Chicago Bulls for some time now, but he may not be the answer to the problems of this team. 

LA may look to make a splash, but they simply need better guard play. Point guard D'Angelo Russell is about as gone as anyone on the roster, and free agent signee Gabe Vincent is likely to be out with an injury for the foreseeable future.

This team will need to address their point guard issue, and there is a solution out in Washington. That would be guard Tyus Jones from the Wizards, who could help solve some of the problems that the Lakers have.

Jones has been seen as one of the better backup point guards in the league for some time now, and he could easily run the second unit for Los Angeles. He won't solve all the issues for this team, but he would give them a big boost.

In 28 games with the Wizards this season, Jones is averaging 12.3 points, three rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.2 steals per game. But the real kicker for Jones is that he is a great three-point shooter, which is something that the Lakers struggle with.

Offensively, Tyus Jones has been pretty good

19.6 pts per 100 on career high TS (59.3) and a career low 1.4 tov per 100 (7.6 TOV%)

10/25 (40%) on pull up 3s

74.5% in the restricted area & 52.5% in the paint (non ra)

I'm sure there will be buyers for him in a backup role pic.twitter.com/hgHGuyoEkQ

— wizzy (@youngwizzyDFS) December 18, 2023

On the year, Jones is shooting 42.6% from beyond the three-point line, and he is a career 36.2% three-point shooter. Jones is also a very good defender, and that could help the perimeter defensive issues that the Lakers have.

If the team could swing a trade for Jones, it would serve them well. He is on an expiring contract as well, which is something that the Lakers' front office would likely covet.

This move may seem small in context, but it could be exactly what this Lakers team needs.