The NBA trade rumors have all but dismissed the LA Lakers early in the season, but their current slump may bring them pause.
At the start of the season, the Lakers reached over .500 at certain points, but from a 10-10 record in their first 20 games, they are now at 15-31 following a loss to the Denver Nuggets-their fifth straight.
The Lakers have declared that they won't be active at the trade deadline. GM Mitch Kupchak admitted that there have been inquiries but they are hesitant to make a move. (h/t Silver Screen and Roll)
"There was a flurry of phone calls a couple of weeks ago, most of which i initiated," said Kupchak, who explained the Lakers "have to be careful with what we do. Most of the teams that would have interest in our players would have interest in our young players and we covet our young players pretty highly right now. So it would be tough for us to move a young player."
The Lakers paid a high price to form this young core. They've had lottery picks since 2014, including the last two no.2 overall picks in what was the worst stretch in franchise history.
Thus, the fan base is desperate to see some returns and it's not really visible now. Is Kupchak sure that there is no need to trade? Are these young players the real stars that the NBA's most popular team will hedge their future on?
The sad reality is that they may not be enough. While Luke Walton has emphasized balance between the starters and the bench in terms of talent level, the Lakers are still an aberration, as Colin Cowherd stated in this video excerpt.
Cowherd contends that contrary to an article he mentioned (possibly this article from Sporting News scribe Sean Deveney), the Lakers would trade D'Angelo Russell, arguably their top player, for the right price. That is a straight contradiction to his perceived "untouchable" status.
The Lakers have no stars, as Cowherd contended. He implied that the high percentage of their bench points (best in the NBA) is more due to the weakness of their starters rather than the strength of their bench.
Thus, contrary to GM Kupchak's claim, the Lakers would find it easy to send off D'Angelo Russell for a star player. If the Indiana Pacers decide to push the reset button with Paul George, the Lakers should offer Russell. The Sacramento Kings have coveted Russell and if he's the price for a package that could net DeMarcus Cousins, there should be no reason to hesitate.
A trade for George, Cousins or Jimmy Butler should be worth two of their young core players. It would also attract a free agent more than the promise of a future based on the potential of Russell, Brandon Ingram or Julius Randle.