LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers enter Christmas in unfamiliar comfort. They sit third in the West with an 18–7 record. This is their strongest early-season position in years. Yet the wins hide several fatal flaws. The Lakers win often, but they win narrowly. Trade season arrives with urgency for the Lakers, not panic.
Trade Season Begins: Breaking Down The Lakers’ Options
Their point differential sits at just plus-39 despite 18 victories. The net rating stands at plus-1.5, only 14th league-wide. That profile suggests fragility. The Lakers dominate weak opponents, then collapse decisively in losses. Every defeat has come by double digits. Those patterns explain why as trade season begins, the Lakers calling rival front offices already feels necessary.
Why December 15 Matters
Trade season officially opened on December 15. Early free-agent signings saw their restrictions lifted. That timing matters for Los Angeles. Some targets are now available offering more opportunity and legal flexibility. The Lakers’ trade strategies in the past often centered on stars, but this year points elsewhere. The problems feel solvable without drastic disruption.
This team wins on execution and star output. It loses when those advantages fade. That is not sustainable across four playoff rounds. The Lakers understand this tension. The front office will look to sharpen edges rather than swing wildly.
Four Problems, One Partial Fix
The Lakers face four clear issues. Defense. Depth. Athleticism. Shooting. None operate independently. The staff found a temporary patch by leaning into chaos. Jarred Vanderbilt and Adou Thiero inject speed, length, and disruption. That choice improved defense and athleticism. Shooting remains unresolved.
Los Angeles ranks as a borderline bottom-ten defense. The team sits 18th in three-point percentage. They make just 12 threes per game. That math breaks down quickly in May. The bench problem looms even larger. Lakers reserves rank dead last in scoring. Memphis, Chicago, and Miami nearly double their output.
Starters Carry Everything
The starters deserve credit. They lead the league in scoring and rank fourth in assists. That production keeps the Lakers afloat nightly. It also signals danger. The starters play the league’s second-most minutes. The league is increasingly plagued by calf strains and soft-tissue injuries. Depth provides a way to avoid succumbing to these injuries.
Lakers’ trade season strategy must reduce this burden. Shooting and defense remain non-negotiable needs. Any addition must allow Redick to rest stars without hemorrhaging leads. That reality shapes every call.
Big Names, Small Leverage
Naturally, New Orleans comes up in conversations. The Pelicans roster features wings who fit perfectly: Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones. Acquiring them remains difficult. The Lakers lack young assets to force leverage. Those talks stall quickly without draft capital or prospects.
Brooklyn presents a more realistic lane. The Nets own a productive bench, ranked ninth in scoring. Logic supports marginal upgrades for Los Angeles. Day’Ron Sharpe offers athletic size. Ziaire Williams brings defensive length. Neither move breaks the core. Both raise the floor. Haywood Highsmith could surface in discussions. He is yet to play this season but he’s a career 37.4% from behind-the-arc.
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