Around them, the NBA rattled and shook. Stars were moved swiftly, like chips at the poker table, with a number of teams making their all-in bids.
But at the trade deadline, which passed Thursday at noon, the Los Angeles Lakers merely stood still.
A morning of phone calls didn’t lead to any moves for the 26-30 Lakers, despite their nose-diving record and pressure from fans and even their own players to shake up a faltering roster. At ninth place in the Western Conference, the Lakers are expected to pivot toward the buyout market to try to add an impact player – as long as they clear a roster spot.
But the largest fissures and problems with the underachieving Lakers remain unresolved. The team ranks No. 22 in offense, No. 17 in defense and has gone 3-7 in their last 10 games. Their star offseason acquisition, Russell Westbrook, is mired in a slump and not closing games – which has him at odds with the team’s coaching staff led by Frank Vogel.
Even without Westbrook in the lineup Wednesday, the Lakers couldn’t beat the Portland Trail Blazers, who were caught shorthanded in the middle of major trades that left players such as Trendon Watford and Keljin Blevins playing significant minutes.
After taking accountability for turnovers and other mistakes that led to the loss, LeBron James – a four-time MVP and four-time champion – admitted to feeling “tired” and that the Lakers were burdened by the uncertainty of the trade deadline and their own inconsistent play.
“Obviously this is something that’s weighing on this group that we’re all trying to get through,” he said. “Almost feels like it’s a fog, just fog in the air. And we’re all trying to see what’s on the other side of it.”
The Lakers now know the team they have coming out of the trade deadline, but that doesn’t mean the fog will lift.
Pressure had mounted on general manager Rob Pelinka to shake up the roster, especially in the wake of underwhelming performances and Westbrook’s continued struggles two-thirds of the way through the season. But the Lakers were hamstrung by previous spending sprees: They can’t deal any more first-round picks until 2027, and multiple outlets reported that the front office was wary of mortgaging its future any further with future picks and swaps still owed to New Orleans for acquiring Anthony Davis in 2019.
The Lakers also faced an uphill battle in moving their contracts. Westbrook makes the third-highest salary ($44 million) of any NBA player, averaging 18.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 7.6 assists while shooting 43.5% from the field, limiting the number of teams who could feasibly take on his deal – much less anyone who was interested. Smaller, more trade-friendly contracts belong to players who have not lived up to their value so far: Talen Horton-Tucker’s efficiency has dropped despite a rise in minutes this season, while Kendrick Nunn has yet to play in the regular season with a right knee bone bruise.
Trying to deal out of desperation also made for tricky negotiations. The Athletic reported that rival teams tried to drive up asking prices, seeing a team in need of change. Ultimately, the Lakers demurred from overpaying to salvage a roster that might already have teetered over the edge.
Other teams were surprisingly active: The Brooklyn Nets shipped out James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers for Ben Simmons and several role players and draft picks after a partnership that lasted a little over a year. Dallas sent Kristaps Porzingis to the Wizards for Spencer Dinwiddie. The Clippers, Pelicans and Kings all executed deals to chase play-in spots, threatening the already humble position the Lakers are already in at ninth. Teams below 10th will not make the play-in, and 10th-place New Orleans is now just three games behind the Lakers in the standings.
The buyout market has yet to take shape, but the Lakers have mined it in past years under Pelinka: In 2020, they signed Markieff Morris, who was a key role player in the championship run in that postseason. In 2021, they signed Andre Drummond, who ended up being far less impactful on a team that was bounced in the first round of the playoffs. However, the Lakers’ standing in the West is likely to diminish their viability to sign impact buyout candidates.
To sign anyone on the buyout market, the Lakers will have to clear a roster spot. Veterans such as DeAndre Jordan and Kent Bazemore have fallen out of the rotation in recent weeks.
The Lakers are 10-8 with Westbrook in the lineup with Anthony Davis and James, and while injuries have prevented chemistry from building, privately players expressed concerns that it would jell enough for the Lakers to be competitive this season.
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Still, as recently as Tuesday, Davis suggested that the Lakers were still looking to find a way forward with their current roster.
“We can turn this around but it’s going to take a lot of work,” he said. “To do it, it’s going to take us as a team, collectively to do so. We got to buy in.”
Now, the Lakers have no choice.