交易截止日期还有一周，洛杉矶湖人队可能需要一些升级，尽管他们不一定需要任何升级。
“我们喜欢这里发生的一切，”勒布朗·詹姆斯正确地说。
湖人目前人手不足，但安东尼·戴维斯有望在几周内复出。
自从全明星赛以来，湖人已经赢得了所有的三场比赛，包括他们最好的两次进攻表现和替补出场的精彩表现。他们以27胜13负的战绩坐拥世界顶级防守和最佳季后赛。
在全员的情况下，洛杉矶有足够的天赋和足够的阵容来重复。但是总经理罗伯·佩林卡（robpelinka）如果不打几个电话的话，他就不会做他的工作。
佩林卡上任后，在最后期限前一直保持沉默。2019年，他将迈克尔·比斯利和伊维卡·祖巴克交易到洛杉矶快船队，换来迈克·穆斯卡拉，并从底特律活塞队收购了雷吉·布洛克，换来斯维·米哈利乌克。2020年，他如愿以偿。
佩林卡的贸易选择是有限的。洛杉矶在2027年之前不能交易第一轮，他们在2021年、2022年和2026年都处理掉了第二轮。湖人队几乎不低于硬性工资帽，在任何交易中都没有足够的回旋余地。
詹姆斯和戴维斯是不可侵犯的。凯尔·库兹马、丹尼斯·施罗德、蒙特雷兹尔·哈雷尔和卡鲁索都太重要了，不能用这些来换取一点小小的进步。肯塔维厄斯·考德威尔·波普是克劳奇的客户，他在洛杉矶的价值明显高于其他球队。
很难想象其他俱乐部会对马克·加索尔、马基耶夫·莫里斯或韦斯利·马修斯感兴趣。阿尔芬佐·麦金尼和贾里德·达德利也是如此。
剩下塔伦·霍顿·塔克。这位20岁的球员现在赚了150万美元，但在自由球员市场上的收入却高达8300万美元。这位大二的球员正在经历职业生涯中最好的两场比赛，他代表着球队唯一的年轻资产。失去他不到一个边缘明星是不合逻辑和不现实的。
珍妮巴斯坚持说，她愿意支付任何奢侈税，以保持冠军窗口打开，这意味着专营权不会期待卸载即将到来的自由球员卡鲁索，霍顿塔克，哈雷尔，或施罗德，以收回价值前的夏天。
湖人问题的严重程度很难确定，因为戴维斯的缺席，他预计在季后赛回到中锋，以及10月以来的残酷日程。
然而，他们正在探索前场升级，而且他们的三分球投篮不可靠。另一个边路后卫和/或偶尔的控球手也不会受伤。
湖人只会寻找那些已经准备好为夺冠做出贡献的球员。两个潜在的合适人选——P.J.塔克和特雷弗·阿里扎——已经被淘汰。
收购市场无疑是最简单的途径。
也就是说，让我们列出潜在的贸易目标。
安德烈·德拉蒙德、拉马库斯·阿尔德里奇、德马库斯·堂兄弟
琼斯，在他的第二个10天的合同中，在六场比赛中表现出色，同时提供了球队自从霍华德和麦基离开后所缺乏的垂直性。
尽管如此，这并不需要仔细阅读茶叶收集，湖人可能不完全满意他们的前场。
据《体坛周报》报道，湖人队被认为是德拉蒙德的最佳追求者之一，但只能通过买断的方式。阿尔德里奇的阵营还没有和洛杉矶联系在一起，他2400万美元的薪水对于湖人来说几乎是不可能的。
“表兄弟”在2020-21年的收入为1700万美元，在双方同意分道扬镳之前，休斯顿火箭队完全保证了这一收入。对于湖人来说，这里没有什么交易途径是合理的。如果休斯顿愿意接受考德威尔·波普的合同，他们的薪水可以与之匹敌，但在现阶段，KCP远胜于表兄弟。
哈桑·怀特塞德
因为怀特塞德230万美元的薪水，湖人可以进行交易。萨克拉门托国王队可能会接受一个替补和第二轮的中锋，而不是付钱让他去偷懒。
据报道洛杉矶有兴趣在怀特赛德作为一个应急计划。这位31岁的球员理论上会选择一些选项，他提供尺寸、盖帽和多年的服务。他平均每36分钟得到19.9分和14个篮板。
怀特塞德不是一个天生的更衣室适合，因为他还没有被证明有能力成为一个关键的齿轮组获胜。另一方面，湖人强大的文化让霍华德表现得最好。
雷迪克
湖人队每场三分球得分排名第28位。他们在中场休息后变得越来越激烈，但是外围投篮是球队最关心的问题，尤其是当戴维斯支撑住篮筐的时候。他们有能干的射手，但他们不是犹他爵士。
雷迪克将是一个无可否认的文化适合。在球场上，威廉姆森和埃姆比德都称赞了他们与雷迪克建立的两个人的比赛，他可以找到与詹姆斯和戴维斯同样的成功。
雷迪克在2020-21年的收入为1300万美元，其他竞争者也将寻求帮助。湖人至少需要有一个稳定的轮换球员和/或2027年的第一轮球员来完成对雷迪克的收购。这对一个在D上没什么帮助的人来说太多了。
乔治·希尔将是一个理想的补充，但沙姆斯报道说，萨姆·普雷斯蒂很高兴留下他，除非他为希尔得到一个可靠的老控卫。
韦恩·艾灵顿
这是一种截止日期前收购，可能是最可行的湖滨。
这位12岁的老将本赛季的命中率为42.2%，他的260万美元的薪水也不相上下。湖人可能会为埃林顿争取第二轮的机会和薪水。他可能不会最终移动针，但他将提供离合器射击保险马修斯继续失望。
维克托·奥拉迪波
从奥拉迪波到洛杉矶，火箭后卫身穿科比球衣的照片更是让人热血沸腾。众所周知，休斯顿在失去这位前全明星球员之前，一直在收购他。
这位28岁的球员自从来到H城以来，场均得到21.2分，命中率为39.9%。他是职业生涯33.2%的三分投手，湖人队肯定会很乐意增加他的边路防守。
他2100万美元的薪水意味着洛杉矶将不得不放弃哈雷尔或施罗德，或者将霍顿·塔克纳入与考德威尔·波普的一揽子计划，并获得草案补偿。如果湖人真的不信任哈雷尔在季后赛的防守，我可以看到他们把他换成迪波，因为无论如何，特雷兹可能会在自由身上。
但是哈雷尔最近一直是湖人队第二好的球员，湖人队太看重他在板凳上的精力了，以至于没有在这么大的变动中扣动扳机。
迈尔斯-特纳
这位印第安纳波利斯球星报道说，湖人是少数关注特纳的球队之一。
佩林卡应该询问一下这位24岁的球员，他在街区联赛中处于领先地位。他是典型的爆炸性二中，湖人会喜欢。很容易想象詹姆斯用他精锐的配器解锁特纳的进攻，也很难看到有人和他一起得分，戴维斯在桶里巡逻。
如果洛杉矶能为哈雷尔、非轮换工资填补者和2027年第一轮获得特纳，那就值得探讨了。如果他们必须包括库兹马或THT-谢谢。
原标题：
Best trades for the Lakers ahead of the deadline
原文：
The trade deadline is one week away, and the Los Angeles Lakers could use some upgrades, though they don’t necessarily need any.
âWe love what we got going on over here,â LeBron James rightfully said.
The Lakers are currently short-handed , but Anthony Davis is on track to return within a few weeks.
The Lakers have won all three games since the All-Star break, including two of their best offensive performances and stellar outings from their bench. They sit at 27-13 with the top-ranked defense and the best playoff closer in the world.
At full strength, L.A. has a talented and deep enough roster to repeat. But GM Rob Pelinka wouldnât be doing his job if he didnât make a few calls.
Pelinka has been quiet at the deadline since taking over. In 2019, he traded Michael Beasley and Ivica Zubac to the Los Angeles Clippers for Mike Muscala and acquired Reggie Bullock from the Detroit Pistons for Svi Mykhailiuk. In 2020, he stood pat.
Pelinka’s trade options are limited. L.A. can’t trade a first-rounder until 2027, and they’ve dealt away second-rounders in 2021, 2022, and 2026. The Lakers are barely below the hard-cap , leaving little wiggle room when it comes to matching salaries in any trade.
James and Davis are untouchable. Kyle Kuzma , Dennis Schröder , Montrezl Harrell and Caruso are too important to swap for a marginal improvement. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope , a Klutch client, holds eminently more value on L.A. than on another team.
It’s hard to imagine another club being interested in Marc Gasol , Markieef Morris , or Wesley Matthews for anything other than a salary filler. Ditto for Alfonzo McKinnie and Jared Dudley .
That leaves Talen Horton-Tucker. The 20-year old is making $1.5 million but can earn up to $83 million in free agency . The sophomore is coming off the best two-game stretch of his career, and he represents the franchise’s only young asset. Losing him for less than a borderline star is illogical and unrealistic.
Jeanie Buss insisted that she’s willing to front any luxury tax bill to keep the championship window open, implying that the franchise won’t look to off-load impending free agents Caruso, Horton-Tucker, Harrell, or Schröder in order to recoup value before the summer.
The degree of the Lakers’ issues is tricky to pinpoint due to Davis’ absence, his expected move back to center in the playoffs, and the brutal calendar since October .
Yet, they are exploring frontcourt upgrades, and their three-point shooting is unreliable. Another wing defender and/or occasional ball-handler wouldn’t hurt, either.
The Lakers will only seek players who are ready to contribute to a title run. Two potential fits â P.J. Tucker and Trevor Ariza â are off the board.
The buyout market is far and away the easiest route.
That said, let’s run down the list of potential trade targets.
Andre Drummond, LaMarcus Aldridge, DeMarcus Cousins
Jones, on his second 10-day contract, has performed adequately in six games while providing an element of verticality the team has sorely lacked since Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee departed.
Still, it doesn’t require a close reading of tea leaves to glean that the Lakers may not be completely satisfied with their frontcourt.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that the Lakers are believed to be one of Drummond’s top suitors, but only via a buyout. Aldridge’s camp has not been linked to L.A., and his $24 million salary is virtually impossible for the Lakers to match in a trade.
Cousins is earning $17 million in 2020-21, which the Houston Rockets fully guaranteed before the two sides agreed to part ways. There’s no trade route that makes sense for the Lakers here. They could match salaries if Houston was willing to take Caldwell-Pope’s contract, but KCP is far better than Cousins at this stage.
Hassan Whiteside
Because of Whitesideâs $2.3 million salary, the Lakers could make a trade work. Itâs possible the Sacramento Kings would accept a reserve and second-rounder for the center, rather than paying him to skedaddle.
L.A. reportedly has an interest in Whiteside as a contingency plan. The 31-year old would theoretically check a few boxes â he provides size , shot-blocking , and multiple years of service. He’s averaging 19.9 points and 14 rebounds per 36 minutes.
Whiteside isn’t a natural locker room fit, as he’s yet to prove capable of being a key cog on a winning group. On the other hand, the Lakers strong culture got the best behavior out of Howard.
JJ Redick
The Lakers rank 28th in 3-pointers made per game. They’ve heated up since the break, but perimeter shooting is the team’s biggest concern, especially once Davis shores up the rim protection. They have capable shooters, but they aren’t the Utah Jazz.
Redick would be an undeniable culture fit. On the court, Zion Williamson and Joel Embiid have both praised the two-man games they established with Redick, and he could find the same success with James and Davis.
Redick is making $13 million in 2020-21 and will be sought by other contenders. The Lakers would need to include, at least, a solid rotation player and/or the 2027 first-rounder to swing a Redick acquisition. That’s a lot for a guy who doesn’t really help on D.
George Hill would be an ideal addition, but Shams reported that Sam Presti is happy to keep him unless he receives a solid veteran point guard for Hill.
Wayne Ellington
This is the type of pre-deadline acquisition that might be the most feasible for the LakeShow.
The 12-year veteran is hitting 42.2% from deep this season, and his $2.6 million salary is matchable. The Lakers could snag Ellington for a second-rounder and a salary throw-in. He may not ultimately move the needle, but he would provide clutch shooting insurance as Matthews continues to disappoint.
Victor Oladipo
Oladipo-to-L.A. buzz has been fueled by images of the Rockets guard wearing a Kobe Bryant jersey. It’s widely known that Houston is shopping the former All-Star before losing him in free agency.
The 28-year old is averaging 21.2 points per game on 39.9% shooting since arriving in H-Town. He’s a career 33.2 % three-point shooter, and the Lakers would surely love to add his wing defense.
His $21 million salary means that L.A. would have to part with either Harrell or Schröder, or include Horton-Tucker in a package with Caldwell-Pope and draft compensation. If the Lakers truly distrust Harrell’s defense in the playoffs, I could see them flipping him for Dipo , as Trez may walk in free agency, anyway.
But Harrell has been the Lakers’ second-best player of late , and L.A. values his energy off the bench too much to pull the trigger on a shake-up that substantial.
Myles Turner
The Indianapolis Star reported that the Lakers are one of a handful of teams eyeing Turner.
Pelinka should inquire about the 24-year old, who is leading the league in blocks. He’s the prototypical explosive two-center that the Lakers would love. Itâs easy to envision James unlocking Turnerâs offense with his elite orchestration, and it’s hard to see anyone scoring with him and Davis patrolling the bucket.
If L.A. could nab Turner for Harrell, non-rotation salary filler, and the 2027 first-rounder â that’s worth exploring. If they have to include Kuzma or THT â no thanks.
