Lakers Trade Rumors: L.A. ‘Trending More Toward’ Smaller Trade Ahead of Deadline

The Los Angeles Lakers reportedly aren’t expected to make a major blockbuster trade prior to the Feb. 6 deadline, according to The Athletic’s Jovan Buha. The team prefers to use its “second-round draft capital” in a smaller move.

Lakers Trade Rumors: Los Angeles Is More Likely To Make A Smaller Move Since Acquiring Dorian Finney-Smith

In December, the Lakers traded D’Angelo Russell and Maxwell Lewis to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton. Los Angeles also sent three future second-round picks to the Nets in the trade.

Speaking Saturday on Buha’s Block (beginning at the 28:08 mark of the video), Buha noted that recent conversations he has had suggest the Lakers are more likely to make a smaller move prior to the deadline.

“My sense lately, that I’ve been hearing, has been trending more toward them making a smaller move and probably using second-round draft capital,” Buha said. “And the issue there is that their second-round draft capital isn’t really worth that much because it’s their pick and the Clippers’ pick.

“Both of those picks are projected right now to be between like 45 and 52, depending on where those two teams finish in the standings, so those aren’t the sexiest second round picks. You typically want a first half of the second round-type pick.”

None Of The NBA Players Traded Recently Have A Salary Over $20 Million, Per Spotrac And ESPN’s Bobby Marks

ESPN’s Bobby Marks discovered a trend around the NBA this season pertaining to players’ salaries involved in trades. None of the players recently moved have a salary greater than $20 million.

Those players include D’Angelo Russell ($18.7 million), Dorian Finney-Smith ($14.9 million), Dennis Schroder ($13 million), De’Anthony Melton ($12.8 million), Josh Okogie ($8.2 million), and Nick Richards ($5 million).

Simply put, the apron rules are making it harder for teams to trade players with larger contracts. For that reason, the Lakers will probably make a smaller move involving a veteran contract and just a second-round pick.

Los Angeles traded its 2027 conditional second-round pick, 2030 unprotected second-rounder, and 2031 unprotected second-rounder to Brooklyn in the Russell trade.

The Lakers’ 2027 second-rounder to Brooklyn is contingent on if they send their 2027 first-rounder to the Utah Jazz. If the first falls in the top-4 and it’s not conveyed, Utah will receive the 2027 second.

More importantly, the Lakers’ tax bill dropped from $53.2 million prior to the Russell trade to $42 million. They also own three first-round picks: 2027 (if 1-4), 2029, and 2030.