As The Athletic reported after the Finney-Smith trade, the Lakers remain active on the trade market in pursuit of upgrades, according to team and league sources. They continue to evaluate their roster and are cautiously optimistic that Jarred Vanderbilt’s looming return will give them clarity as to which positions and skills they need most. With just over two weeks remaining until the deadline, though, it’s time to assess whether this group is running out of time. The sense around the league, when talking to rival scouts and front-office personnel, is that standing pat or making a half-measure trade (likely one or two second-round picks) is more likely than the Lakers going all-in and trading both of their future first-round picks that can be moved. That’s dependent, of course, on the available players, asking prices and the team’s performance through the deadline. -via New York Times / January 21, 2025
Jarred Vanderbilt cleared to return on Saturday after being sidelined for almost a year
