The Los Angeles Lakers have now lost three consecutive games and with the NBA trade deadline quickly approaching, there are a ton of questions surrounding Frank Vogel’s team.
To the surprise of no one, the Lakers have struggled mightily in the absence of both LeBron James and Anthony Davis and now concerns have arisen about the makeup of the roster.
The ultimate goal is obviously to win another championship and even before the injuries began to come down, there were some wondering if the Lakers had the right group to do so. Now as things spiral downhill for the defending champions, everyone is watching to see if a move will be made.
But Vogel doesn’t see that as likely and furthermore, doesn’t believe the Lakers need it.
“The biggest thing is we just have to get healthy. Those conversations are for the front office. My expectation is we’re going to win games with this group. I believe in the group that we have,” Vogel said following the Lakers’ loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.
“If nothing happens, we’re going to win games. We’re going to figure out a way to win games during this stretch and it will benefit us during the long run. I’m not sure if we’ll see any changes or not. Most trade deadline situations there’s been a lot of talks that result in nothing and that’s my expectation as a coach.”
A healthy Lakers team would undoubtedly be one of the championship favorites as currently constructed. Some of the team’s role players had been struggling even when James and Davis were playing, but that has only been exacerbated with them out. Players are currently in roles that they wouldn’t be in were the Lakers healthy, which makes it harder to judge their performances.
The expectation is that James and Davis will be back before the playoffs and that is likely what Vogel and Rob Pelinka will be making moves based on.
Vogel having belief in his group should come as no surprise and to his credit, when healthy the Lakers were clearly one of the best teams in the NBA. This doesn’t mean the front office won’t look to add another 3-and-D wing or an extra big man, but it seems more likely that it will be more of a minor move as opposed to some big trade.
The team’s salary cap constraints and questionable trade assets, particularly the lack of first-round picks, make a potential trade even more difficult to pull off. Regardless, Vogel and Pelinka have always been on the same page so if the former thinks the Lakers aren’t in need of a major shakeup, it stands to reason that the latter’s thoughts aren’t much different.
Lakers have edge over Nets if Drummond is bought out
The more likely move for the Lakers is making an addition on the buyout market and one name that is constantly brought up is Andre Drummond. The veteran big man checks a lot of boxes, but there will be competition should he hit the open market.
The most recent rumors suggest the Lakers are in the driver’s seat should he be bought out, having an edge over the Brooklyn Nets. There are a lot of factors that would go into this potential move, with the first being Drummond actually being bought out. Without a doubt, however, this will be one of the biggest names to be watched in the coming days.
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