Lakers See Potential Trade Option as Long-Term Roster Fit

The Los Angeles Lakers could see this potential trade option as someone who fits the long-term vision of the organization.

Dec 13, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura (28) makes a layup against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images / Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Lakers are in a position where they need to upgrade the roster in order to be title contenders. They are open to all manners of doing so this season. There are quite a few players on other teams who they are viewing as possible trade targets.

In order for them to get a good player in the trade market, they would have to send out some good players to help match salaries. D'Angelo Russell is the most likely candidate to be shipped elsewhere because of his trade-friendly contract; however, he's not the only player who could be moved in the coming months.

Rui Hachimura is a player that a lot of people have circled as someone who could be moved as part of a trade. He is under contract for this season and next and currently makes $17 million. That's a nice middle-tier salary that could be used to help match salaries with another team.

It doesn't sound like the Lakers are in a hurry to move him, however. According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, Hachimura is someone that they would like to keep. They view him as more of a long-term piece than some of the other mid-sized contracts that they have on the roster.

“I don’t think that means they would not trade him, but among the four midsize salaries the Lakers can trade between now and January 15 (Rui, Gabe Vincent, D’Angelo Russell and Jarred Vanderbilt), Rui is the guy they prefer to keep as the longest-term piece," said Buha.

If that's the case, then the Lakers will need to move Russell, Jared Vanderbilt, or Gabe Vincent instead. All three of those guys could potentially be packaged together if they are trying to land one of the big stars who have been named as potential trade targets.

Jimmy Butler, Zach Lavine, and some other big fish are out there. With how much money they are making, that would mean that all three of those guys would have to be put together to just land that one player. They could opt to add a few pieces to help with the depth instead.

It's in the Lakers' DNA to really try to get stars instead of just gathering a bunch of depth pieces. It doesn't seem likely that something won't happen until closer to the trade deadline. Los Angeles still needs to get back to what they were doing at the start of the season.

Hachimura is averaging 12.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists on 48.5% shooting. He's also shooting 44.3 percent from three this season. He's turned himself into a solid player and a perfect complementary player to LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

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