Latest Los Angeles Lakers Trade Rumors Reveals Major Rift Among Team Leaders

If you are one of the Los Angeles Lakers who think the team should maximize the championship window of their two superstars, LeBron James and Anthony Davis? You would be in the company of James and Davis.

But the latest Lakers trade rumors reveal that the strategy at the top is to continue to get healthy and assess the talent of the team once fully available.

The big problem with that is the trade deadline is right around the corner, 17 days from the writing of this article.

Los Angeles Lakers At A Crossroads, Lakers Trade Rumors Looking Small

NBA: Los Angeles Lakers-Press Conference
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Despite the clear need to bolster their roster, there is a growing perception within league circles that the Los Angeles Lakers may not engage in aggressive trade pursuits at the upcoming deadline, according to The Athletic’s Jovan Buha.

“As The Athletic reported after the Dorian Finney-Smith trade, the Lakers remain active on the trade market in pursuit of upgrades, according to team and league sources,” Buha wrote. “They continue to evaluate their roster and are cautiously optimistic that Jarred Vanderbilt’s looming return will give them clarity as to which positions and skills they need most. With just over two weeks remaining until the deadline, though, it’s time to assess whether this group is running out of time.

“The sense around the league, when talking to rival scouts and front-office personnel, is that standing pat or making a half-measure trade (likely one or two second-round picks) is more likely than the Lakers going all-in and trading both of their future first-round picks that can be moved. That’s dependent, of course, on the available players, asking prices, and the team’s performance through the deadline.”

LAFB Network on YouTube

This division has inevitably brought the notion of James orchestrating his exit from the team via a trade. This has long been a favorite Lakers trade rumor since before Thanksgiving. And it isn’t without merit. James has become even more vocal about his displeasure with the team build, saying;

“That’s how our team is constructed,” James said. “We don’t have room for error — for much error.”

“We don’t have a choice,” James continued. “I mean… that’s the way our team is constructed. And we have to, we have to play close-to-perfect basketball.”