The Los Angeles Lakers currently sit at 14-12, putting them 10th in the NBA’s Western Conference. Of course, this falls well below the expectations for the franchise at any point, but is especially true given the career window for LeBron James.
James, who is overtly concerned by his legacy, would undoubtedly like to add a fifth championship ring to his impressive trophy case. But the notion that he would chase that ring by demanding a trade to a current contender has been put to bed.
According to reporting, the Lakers are looking to add talent via a trade, but will be “prioritizing adding depth as opposed to pursuing star-level additions.”
This has led to the team being connected to players like Jonas Valanciunas, Nikola Vucevic, Cameron Johnson, and Dorian Finney-Smith.
Magic Johnson Shares Thoughts on Lakers Trade Plan
But this isn’t the direction, Hall of Fame Laker Magic Johnson thinks the team should be looking to add a third big-time player to match with James and Anthony Davis. Johnson went on NBA Today on SiriusXM and broke down his plan;
“We need one more player. If you’re gonna contend in the West, you gotta have at least three guys. Cuz look at Phoenix, look at Denver. I mean, all these teams, the Mavericks, they got two or three guys that can get it done and get you 25 points a night. We don’t have that. And so we need another guy that can get us 20 points on a consistent basis. And then we can go down on the other end and defend.”
Currently, the players linked to the Lakers don’t fit the bill for what Johnson wants to see going forward.
The Lakers are in Sacramento to take on the Kings on Thursday and Saturday, then at home to face the Detroit Pistons before going to San Francisco on Christmas to play the Golden State Warriors.