The Los Angeles Lakers revamped their entire roster before the start of the 2021-22 NBA season. The moves they made, starting with Russell Westbrook's trade, drew contrasting takes all over the league.
Half of the season is already on the books and it seems like their new roster just doesn't mesh well altogether. Some of the players they brought in are underperforming and don't seem to be a good fit at all.
So, with the trade deadline zooming in, some around the league believe that the Lakers will be the most aggressive buyer in the market. And, according to ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, they will get some big moves done.
ESPN: Stephen A. Smith Says The Lakers Will Make Big Moves Before The Trade Deadline
“Seeing the Lakers step up and knock off a good Jazz two nights after getting blown out by the Denver Nuggets was a step in the right direction," Stephen A. said. "But it ain't enough. Because this has happened all season long with the Lakers. Good games follow bad games follow mediocre games."
"Lack of effort, no consistency to be found. It’s why they are a .500 team over halfway through the season," Smith added. "One day, one play doesn’t resolve any of that. Change has to come to this Lakers team and change will come before the deadline. Trust me on that. It’s going to be even bigger and louder than Westbrook’s dunk."
Adrian Wojnarowski Says The Lakers Don't Have Any Valuable Assets
Nonetheless, that's not going to be easy. In fact, Adrian Wojnarowski doesn't see it happening at all. Truth be told, the Lakers don't have any enticing or valuable assets to move in the deadline:
“I think, for the most part, the Lakers’ improvement is going to have to come from within,” Woj said. “They just don’t have tradable assets, especially with so few sellers in the market. There are going to be other teams who can offer those select few sellers better offers than the Lakers will be able to.”
No team will be willing to just give the Lakers a hand and help them dominate the West. The Lakers can't make a big offer and they're more likely to find luck in the buyout market than via trade.
