Lakers News: Jalen Hood-Schifino Emerging As Trade Asset For LA

The rookie could have some serious trade value.

As trade season is in full swing, the annual tradition of the Lakers being "connected" with countless players across the league has begun. 

Bruce Brown, Dejounte Murray, Zach LaVine, Dorian Finney-Smith, and several others have headlined the 2024 iteration of Lakers trade targets, with a common return package to these teams involving rookie guard Jalen Hood-Schifino and a 2029 first-round pick, amidst possibly more dependent on what LA is getting back. 

Hood-Schifino has struggled in the NBA thus far, but he's looked good in the G-League and has upside as a player. 

The Indiana University product was the No. 17 pick in the 2023 NBA draft (right ahead of Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Brandin Podziemski). His 6-foot-6 frame combined with his playmaking and defensive upside has fostered the notion that he has serious long-term potential. 

Here's what Jovan Buha of The Athletic wrote in a recent piece about Hood-Schifino: 

"Rookie Jalen Hood-Schifino’s stock has dipped since the Lakers selected him with the No. 17 pick in the 2023 draft, but there’s still a mystery-box element to his future, as with any first-round pick barely halfway through his rookie season."

"Depending on one’s view of Hood-Schifino, acquiring him could be similar to receiving a first-round pick, given he’s only halfway into his rookie season."

Buha's concession that Jalen's value has dropped suggests that his poor NBA performances have left a mark, but his upside remains the main takeaway when it comes to what a team is receiving with him in a return package. 

As he presumably continues to play well in the G-League, expect his value to continue to rise as trade talks heat up.