IS Zach LaVine a realistic trade target for the LA Lakers? The package of Russell Westbrook (which becomes major cap relief) and the two first round picks in 2027 and 2029 is still in their bag. If the Lakers want to contend this season, this is the asset they have to move the needle.

To get it out of the way, Rui Hachimura is a marginal upgrade, and does not improve their status that much. That’s why the price they paid for him was fair. However, assuming the intention is to re-sign Hachimura, their cap space takes a hit. They may no longer get a max-level player even after Westbrook has been traded.

Side note: The Kyrie Irving pursuit is over. It’s likely that Irving will re-sign with the Nets, and seeing Irving’s magical moves again may shake up the Nets’ front office. This guy can play, and at the end of the day, that’s all you really want.

Was this the plan all along? LaVine is a Klutch sports agency client, and will always be considered in LeBron’s team. It’s not like James is collecting all their clients, they just traded away Kendrick Nunn, but LaVine would definitely be better.

Initially, the Lakers thought they could get a player like Bradley Beal for that package, but that’s unrealistic. LaVine is a more likely target. He may not be ideal defensively, but the Lakers believe Anthony Davis solves most of their holes. LaVine is a borderline AllStar, but more of a scorer. The Lakers have scorers, but if they really want to make a run for this year, this is probably their best bet.

Wanted: Playoff veteran point guard

The value of a dependable point guard is magnified in the playoffs. At the start of the season, teams want the explosive, fullof-potential guard like Tyrese Maxey. But if you have your main scorers already, having a heady point guard who has nothing else to prove can be invaluable. Just don’t give him a 120-million dollar contract.

Two players are likely targets: Mike Conley and Fred VanVleet. Pundits would say the Conley trade would be overdue, simply because the Utah Jazz are tanking. However, because of their great start, the Jazz reconsidered, and then they had a reality check.

Trader Danny Ainge will hold out until Conley reaches peak value, and that’s on the trade deadline. When the buyers are already defined, they would understand that a playoff veteran like Conley will matter in the closing minutes.

The other target is VanVleet. The Toronto Raptors became the odd-man out in the cutthroat Eastern Conference. However, the front office should be cautious in their moves and not overreact. They are simply having a bad season, they are not necessarily a bad team. However, they should still try to upgrade.

Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, and Scottie Barnes are off limits, even as the former Rookie of the Year is on a sophomore slump. VanVleet is the player on the bubble. He is good enough to keep, but there are teams that could overpay for him, specifically, contenders that need one more piece.

VanVleet is definitely a piece any contender could use in crucial playoff moments. He played clutch as a fourth or fifth option when the Raptors won the title in 2019, and also did well when he was thrust into a bigger role. There is no urgency to trade him, but with a disappointing season, Masai Ujiri is definitely opportunistic, and he is unlikely to keep a player for other reasons than they can contribute to winning.

Shorts: The Warriors are not contenders, and they need to make a trade to get back to contender status. That’s a bitter pill to swallow. The only way to fix that is to swallow another bitter pill: That they made a mistake on James Wiseman. The Warriors should take a “can’t win ‘em all” stance and trade him for a piece they can actually use now.