The Los Angeles Lakers are set to enter the 2025-26 NBA season as one of the many championship contenders in the Western Conference.
Of course, the Lakers’ superstar duo of LeBron James and Luka Doncic will have the Lakers among the favorites to make a run to the NBA Finals this season and they also made some key additions to their roster this summer.
In the offseason, Los Angeles signed Deandre Ayton to be their new starting center and they also added Marcus Smart to give them a much-needed defensive-minded guard.
Despite these additions, the Lakers do have a few holes in their roster and they also have a major question regarding the future of James in Los Angeles as he is set to enter the final year of his contract after opting into his player option this offseason.
Because of this, the Lakers may look to make some trades ahead of the deadline to upgrade their roster to make another championship push and these three players could potentially be on the move.
LeBron James
While the Lakers have shown no interest in trading James this offseason, that could change during the regular season, especially if another team offers them a massive trade package for him.
Of course, the future Hall of Fame forward is still playing at a high level as he enters his 23rd NBA season but he is also entering the final season of his contract with the Lakers.
Because of this, Los Angeles could look to move him ahead of the deadline instead of potentially letting him walk in free agency next summer and if they do so, they could receive a potential large trade package to help bolster their roster around Doncic and Austin Reaves.
Rui Hachimura
Rui Hachimura has been the subject of trade rumors ever since he landed with the Lakers via trade in 2023.
Despite this, Los Angeles has held onto him and the 27-year-old forward has played a key role for them over the past few seasons.
While Hachimura has been a key player for the Lakers, he is also one of their most valuable trade pieces that they could be willing to move to land another impact player as they try to chase a championship this season.
Gabe Vincent
Gabe Vincent’s time in Los Angeles thus far has been extremely underwhelming which could lead the Lakers to trade him this season.
The 29-year-old guard played in only 11 games in his first season in Los Angeles and while he suited up for 72 games last season, his production dropped off heavily, especially his scoring numbers.
If that continues to be the case this season, the Lakers may look to trade the veteran guard away, especially with them adding Smart this offseason which could eat into his minutes.
For the Lakers, moves could be coming this season as they try to bolster their roster to compete for a championship while also building for their future around Doncic.
