**Lakers’ Best Trade Deadline Options to Help LeBron James and Luka Doncic Compete Now**

With the NBA trade deadline looming just 24 hours away, the Los Angeles Lakers are still working to strengthen their roster. Sources close to the team reveal a growing sense of optimism about their ability to compete immediately, especially with the opportunity to trade for Luka Doncic, a 25-year-old star. The Lakers still have potential moves to make to maximize their roster, and Rob Pelinka has acknowledged there is an immediate need for improvement.

The challenge, as always, is whether the market will offer viable options at prices Pelinka is willing to meet.

Now, with that said, let’s quickly dive into how the Lakers can position LeBron James and Doncic for a legitimate championship push this season.

**Center Position: A Priority**

The Lakers have needed a center even before trading away Anthony Davis. Currently, their center rotation consists of Jaxson Hayes, and that’s all. Hayes could thrive as a lob threat alongside Doncic, James, and Austin Reaves, but his history of foul troubles and injuries makes him a risky option.

Christian Wood has been sidelined all season, and uncertainty surrounding his situation suggests he won’t return. Maxi Kleber, who fractured his foot in late January, is also expected to be out for the remainder of the season. Christian Koloko and Trey Jemison III are decent two-way players, but if the Lakers want a shot at a title, they need more than that.

Pelinka acknowledged at Doncic’s introduction that the Lakers need help at center, but the market for centers is scarce. He suggested he might target a smaller move to bolster the position. However, if he is being cautious about prices, the Lakers may need to get creative.

Sources suggest the Lakers are exploring options like moving Kleber and draft assets to acquire a healthy big. They are also open to trading Wood, Cam Reddish (who’s been absent recently for personal reasons), and potentially some lower-tier draft picks or swaps to land a center. But such trades typically only happen once other possibilities are exhausted.

If Pelinka decides to part with their lone remaining first-round pick, players like Nic Claxton or Robert Williams III could be on the radar. The Lakers have engaged with both the Brooklyn Nets and Portland Trail Blazers, but there are concerns about disrupting their core rotation. Claxton, at $27 million, would require sending out Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, plus the first-round pick, a second-round pick, and possibly a swap. Williams, who earns $12.4 million, would be cheaper, but Portland seeks an unprotected first-round pick, and given his injury history, the Lakers are hesitant at that price.

**Perimeter Players**

With Doncic, James, and Reaves handling ball creation, the Lakers’ need for initiation is largely covered. Gabe Vincent has been playing well recently, stabilizing the bench. Once JJ Redick sorts out minute distributions for the primary creators, the bench offense should be less of an issue, which has been a concern since trading D’Angelo Russell.

However, trading Max Christie meant losing the Lakers’ best perimeter defender, something Redick noted after their win over the Clippers. Trading Vincent also presents a problem since he’s their last true point-of-attack defender at the point guard position, and finding a replacement with his defensive prowess and floor-spacing ability would be difficult.

Bruce Brown remains an option, but acquiring him is complicated. The Lakers would need to move several players, including Hachimura, Wood, Hayes, and Reddish, along with a second-round pick, or they’d have to maneuver under the salary cap to sign him through the buyout market. Neither option seems likely at this time.

If the Lakers can clear a roster spot and gain the required flexibility, they may instead target a more realistic buyout option than Brown.

**Odds and Ends**

A significant consideration for the Lakers as they hold on to their 2031 first-round pick is their limited flexibility in terms of draft compensation. They don’t have their own pick this summer and owe the Utah Jazz a top-four protected first-round pick in 2027. The ’29 pick was sent to the Dallas Mavericks as part of the Doncic trade. Due to the Stepien Rule, which prevents teams from trading consecutive first-round picks, the Lakers can’t trade a first-round pick until 2031 at the earliest.

If they do trade the 2031 pick, they won’t be able to trade the 2032 pick when it becomes available next year.

Looking ahead to this summer and beyond, the Lakers have nearly $40 million in expiring contracts between Vincent, Kleber, and Hachimura if they aren’t moved before the deadline. Sources suggest that the Lakers would prefer to leverage that financial flexibility next year, potentially by attaching it to a first-round pick.