Lakers Likely Stand Pat at Trade Deadline

Merlin sees the Lakers likely sitting out the Feb. 5 frenzy. League sources tell Christian Clark and Dan Woike that short-term trades will only solve one problem at a time, and "No potential move the Lakers make at the deadline will check more than one of those boxes." With limited attractive targets and tricky contracts, Los Angeles is more inclined to wait for the summer when it could have as many as three first round picks to reshape the roster. For now people expect they will "focus on perimeter help between now and the trade deadline." Merlin notes a small bright spot. Austin Reaves is set to return and should restore offense, but the team’s defense remains one of the league’s worst. Targets like Watson, Kuminga, Wiggins or Hunter each bring tradeoffs, so patience may be the strategy. The season can be steadied or stalled depending on whether the Lakers accept incremental fixes or bet on a bigger summer overhaul.