The Los Angeles Lakers have been active in trade talks. To this point, Los Angeles has refused to part with the only tradable future first-round picks in 2027 and 2029, but that hasn’t stopped the Lakers from dreaming big.
Should any one of Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard or Bradley Beal seek a trade, the Lakers would hope to be their destination. Until then, LA is focused on smaller, more likely deals.
Durant asked for a trade this offseason, but retracted his request when the Nets were unable to find a deal they liked. Lillard has continually said he intends to play his entire career in Portland. And Beal signed a five-year, maximum extension with the Wizards this past summer, one that includes in the NBA’s only true no-trade clause.
The Lakers would have trouble matching salary in a deal for any of Durant, Lillard or Beal without involving Russell Westbrook and his expiring $47 million contract. To this point, Los Angeles hasn’t found a deal involving Westbrook that they like, and it’s been termed increasingly unlikely that Westbrook will be traded at all.
