The 2024-25 season could become one of the most tense in recent Los Angeles Lakers history. LeBron James will turn 40, JJ Redick will face an unprecedented amount of pressure as a first-year head coach with no prior high-level experience, and avenging a first-round exit will be the talk of the town.
Pressure often pushes great teams to even higher heights, but if the Lakers underachieve, a landscape-altering trade will be a genuine possibility.
In the event that the Lakers approach the trade deadline with the need to improve, the unfortunate reality is that a potentially valuable player will need to be moved. Anthony Davis and James are safe from that distinction as the All-NBA franchise players, but few others are likely to be exempt.
That harsh truth poses a simple question: Who might be traded by the Lakers if the team fails to live up to its internal expectations in 2024-25?
Rui Hachimura
It's a safe bet that the Lakers would prefer to avoid this outcome, but that doesn't necessarily mean they'll be able to. In addition to being one of the best players on the team, Hachimura has perhaps the most attractive multi-year salary that Los Angeles would be willing to part with.
As teams look to extract as much as possible from the Lakers in a potential trade, Hachimura is all but guaranteed to be a part of those discussions.
Hachimura is a 26-year-old forward with positional versatility and an interesting combination of size, strength, and skill. Standing at 6'8" and 230 pounds with a 7'2" wingspan and a jumper that flirts with elite, he's the prototypical 3-4 hybrid for the modern NBA.
This past season, Hachimura averaged 13.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.4 three-point field goals made in just 26.4 minutes per game—on 42.2 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
Translating those numbers to 18.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.9 three-point field goals made per 36 minutes puts his value and potential into perspective. He's also playing on a relatively team-friendly three-year, $51 million deal that expires in 2026.
With a salary that can help the Lakers line up the finances of a potential trade for an All-Star and upside that teams are likely to be intrigued by, Hachimura is likely to be moved if the team is struggling.
A case could be made that no one is facing more pressure to take a step forward and prevent that from transpiring.
D'Angelo Russell
The most likely Los Angeles Lakers player to be traded is the individual who's already being shopped around the NBA: D'Angelo Russell. The 28-year-old is one of the most productive point guards in the Association, but his postseason shortcomings have spawned a reported desire to move on.
With an expiring contract that will become more attractive to teams closer to the trade deadline, Russell is all but guaranteed to be traded during or before the 2024-25 season.
Russell put together an excellent 2023-24 regular season with the Lakers. He averaged 18.0 points, 6.3 assists, and 3.0 three-point field goals made per game, shooting 41.5 percent from beyond the arc and 82.8 percent at the free throw line.
Russell also set the all-time franchise record with 226 three-point field goals made in a single season and posted the second-best three-point field goal percentage of any player in the top 20 in the NBA in makes.
True as that may be, it was yet another disappointing showing in the playoffs from Russell this past season. He infamously shot 0-of-7 from the field in a pivotal Game 3 loss to the Denver Nuggets, and went 2-of-10 from beyond the arc in the 108-106 loss that ended the series.
Russell has been underrated during this offseason of trade rumors, but that doesn't change the fact that the Lakers are already looking to move him.
Waiting until the trade deadline could be their best shot at getting maximum value in return.
Jarred Vanderbilt
Jarred Vanderbilt signed a four-year, $48 million contract extension following the 2022-23 campaign. 2024-25 will mark the first season on that new deal, but it could also be the last if the Los Angeles Lakers are put in a position to make that kind of decision.
The unfortunate reality for Vanderbilt is that, the better he plays, the more likely it becomes that he'll be traded if the team isn't thriving along with him.
It's the unfortunate truth facing every role player in the NBA: Personal success that doesn't lead to team success often makes you too expensive. Whether or not that's fair, it's the reality that faces Vanderbilt ahead of a make-or-break season for both himself and the LeBron James era of the Lakers.
In the event that Los Angeles is winning consistently and Vanderbilt is thriving individually, then chances are he'll be kept out of trade discussions due to his defensive versatility.
One of the complicating factors here, however, is that Vanderbilt is on one of the most tradable contracts on the team. His annual salary is projected to absorb less than eight percent of the salary cap across each of the four seasons he's signed for, which could intrigue rival executives.
If the Lakers have a chance to trade for an upgrade at another position, Vanderbilt could be included if only because of how team-friendly his deal projects to be.
Gabe Vincent
If it's not Rui Hachimura facing the most pressure to step up this season, then it has to be Gabe Vincent. The Los Angeles Lakers made Vincent their marquee signing during the 2023 NBA offseason, inking him to a three-year, $33 million deal.
Unfortunately, Vincent appeared in just 11 regular season games in 2023-24 and was inevitably unable to rediscover his top form before the playoffs rolled around.
Vincent has two seasons and $22.5 million remaining on his current contract, making him one of the most attractive trade pieces on the roster. Assuming he can stay healthy, teams are likely to be interested in a proven postseason performer with established defensive prowess.
The hope in Los Angeles is that it won't come to that, however, as Vincent's mere presence on a nightly basis should help the team take a significant step forward.
Vincent rose to prominence with the Miami Heat, famously producing four 20-point games during the team's run to the 2023 NBA Finals. In addition to being a big-game player, he's a rugged defender who utilizes his strong 200-pound frame and 6'7" wingspan to stifle perimeter scorers.
If Vincent is underperforming, however, the Lakers could include his cost-efficient contract in a potential trade for an upgrade during the 2024-25 season.
It's a cruel business, but as is the price of maximizing the remaining opportunities to win with LeBron James.
