The Lakers are one of the NBA's more interesting trade-deadline teams once again.
Last season, Los Angeles entered the trade deadline with a 25-30 record. With the team heading in the wrong direction, the front office made some big changes that transformed the roster and sparked a run to the Western Conference Finals.
The Lakers find themselves in a similar position this season, hovering around .500 with a middling defense and a struggling offense. Can general manager Rob Pelinka work his magic again?
With the trade deadline just days away, here's what you need to know about the Lakers' options.
MORE: What LeBron James' history of cryptic tweets means for the Lakers
How many draft picks can the Lakers trade?
The Lakers can trade just one future first-round pick.
If Los Angeles doesn't part with its 2029 first-round pick at this week's trade deadline, it will be able to trade three future first-round picks starting the day of the 2024 NBA Draft.
The Lakers have discussed internally the possibility of using their three draft picks to pursue a "bona fide star" like Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell or Hawks guard Trae Young, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin.
Lakers trade deadline targets
1. Dejounte Murray, Hawks
Salary: $18,214,000
Dejounte Murray, 27, is said to be the "top target" for Los Angeles ahead of the trade deadline.
The Trae Young-Murray partnership hasn't gone as planned in Atlanta, but Murray is still having a productive season with 21.5 points. 5.2 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. And while he's not known for his 3-point shooting, he's having a career year from the perimeter, knocking down 2.3 3-pointers per game at a 36.8 percent clip.
A one-time member of the All-Defensive Team, Murray offers more two-way play at the point guard position than D'Angelo Russell. Murray is represented by Klutch Sports, which has LeBron James and Anthony Davis as clients.
2. Bruce Brown Jr., Raptors
Salary: $22,000,000
Brown, 27, makes sense on any team looking to contend. He played an important role on the Nuggets last season, helping the franchise win its first-ever title with his two-way play. He offers playmaking at the guard position, he has experience playing forward or center in small ball lineups and he can guard multiple positions.
The asking price for Brown is reportedly a minimum of a future first-round pick and a quality player.
Brown has a $23.0 million player option in his contract for the 2024-25 season.
3. Marcus Smart, Grizzlies
Salary: $18,583,713
This doesn't seem to be very likely, but it's worth keeping an eye on.
The Lakers are among the teams that have reached out to the Grizzlies about Smart, but Memphis has "shut down any overtures for the veteran guard," per Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer.
Smart, 29, is out until mid-to-late February with a finger injury. While it's been a tough season for both him and the Grizzlies, there will likely be plenty of interest in Smart if he becomes available. A one-time Defensive Player of the Year, he is an elite perimeter defender who is tough as nails and offers some shooting and playmaking.
Smart has two more seasons remaining in his contract. It wouldn't be a surprise if the Grizzlies had a high asking price for him.
Ranking Lakers most likely to be traded
1. D'Angelo Russell
Salary: $17,307,693
Russell helped his trade value last month. In 13 games, he averaged 22.7 points and 6.0 assists while shooting 45.9 percent from 3.
He's been productive since the Lakers acquired him, but Russell struggled in last season's Western Conference Finals run, to the point where he was moved to the bench and played only 14 minutes in the team's final game. Having a more reliable guard would take some of the pressure off of James and Davis.
Russell has a $18.7 million player option in his contract for the 2024-25 season, making him a potential free agent.
2. Rui Hachimura
Salary: $15,740,741
Hachimura gave the Lakers a big spark in the playoffs last season with his 3-point shooting and physical defense. He's been solid this season, averaging 11.5 points and 3.6 rebounds while shooting 39.8 percent from 3. He's a productive young player on a decent contract who could help teams in need of scoring.
If the Lakers are determined to keep Austin Reaves, their best path toward matching the salary of a star is with Russell and Hachimura, as they make a combined $33.0 million this season.
3. Gabe Vincent
Salary: $10,500,000
Vincent, a feisty defender who nailed 37.8 percent of his 3-point attempts in the Heat's run to the Finals last season, was a big pickup in the summer for the Lakers, but he's appeared in only five games due to injury. Including him in a deal would also help Los Angeles match the salary of someone like Murray, Brown or Smart.
