Lakers News: LA Talking Trades With At Least 3 Rival Clubs

Can the Lakers make a splash this summer?
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The Los Angeles Lakers offseason hasn't gotten off to the greatest start as the team hasn't made any moves a few days into free agency. Other than re-signing forward Max Christie, Los Angeles has been fairly quiet.

They did try to land some notable names but have struck out so far. But according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, Los Angeles has been discussing trades with three rival teams. Buha mentioned the Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz, and Brooklyn Nets as the three teams that Los Angeles has been talking with.

"It’s too early to write the Lakers off, of course. There’s always a chance they pull a rabbit out of a hat with a trade or signing. They have been active in recent days, discussing potential deals with Portland, Brooklyn and Utah, among other teams, according to league and team sources. Vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka tends to operate in the shadows — more so this summer than ever, according to league sources. It’s certainly possible he has a contingency plan that saves the offseason."

The Lakers have to make some sort of move, likely via trade, if they want to improve the roster at all. They currently have all 15 roster spots filled up so something will need to be done.

With guard D'Angelo Russell opting into his contract for this coming season, it provides the Lakers with more opportunities to explore trades around the league. General manager Rob Pelinka has his work cut out for him moving forward and the fate of next season rests on what he accomplishes this summer.

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Matt Levine

MATT LEVINE

Matt earned a Master of Science degree in Sport Management from Louisiana State University in 2021. He was born and raised in the Los Angeles area, covering all Southern California sports in his career.