NBA trade deadline: How big of a splash could the Lakers make? - ESPN

It was exactly one year ago, on Jan. 23, 2023, when the Los Angeles Lakers began to reformat their team on the fly.

With the NBA trade deadline looming in less than three weeks and his team mired in a sub-.500 record past the halfway mark of the schedule, Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka traded Kendrick Nunn and three second-round picks to the Washington Wizards to acquire Rui Hachimura.

A flurry of movement would follow at the deadline, and the Lakers, a team that couldn't win one out of every two games for the majority of the season, closed 18-9 — winning two of every three — to clinch a postseason spot and reach the Western Conference finals.

Just over halfway through this season, the Lakers are once again hovering around .500 — 22-22 and No. 9 in the West after winning three of their past four heading into Tuesday's game against the LA Clippers — and again have to decide if now is the time to reshape this roster. And to what extent.

Lakers coach Darvin Ham said Sunday that L.A. «absolutely» has enough to compete for a championship already with stars Anthony Davis and LeBron James, so long as their teammates play their best around them.

«We know we have a hell of a 1-2 punch with AD and Bron,» Ham said. «And it's just guys getting comfortable and being aggressive and not waiting for those two guys to do everything. Play your part, be supportive, but also be a threat yourself. Be deliberate. Be decisive. So we can help give those guys the support they need.»

With that in mind, here are the three possible paths forward for the Lakers, with the Feb. 8 NBA trade deadline just 16 days away.

Ham has good reason to have faith in these Lakers, even with their ups and downs. Their