With the NBA trade deadline fast approaching on February 5, the Los Angeles Lakers find themselves in a familiar spot: stuck between the urgency of now and the promise of later. The clock is ticking, but the options on the board? They’re not exactly inspiring.
Right now, the Lakers don’t have a treasure chest of tradable assets. They’re short on appealing pieces that could bring back the kind of high-impact player who moves the needle in a loaded Western Conference.
And the names floating around the trade market? Let’s just say they’re not the kind of game-changers that make LeBron James and Anthony Davis instant title favorites.
But here’s where it gets interesting. While the Lakers might not be able to swing a major deal before this year’s deadline, they’re quietly setting the stage for a much bigger summer.
Come offseason, they’ll have the ability to trade two future first-round picks-plus the rights to their 2026 first-rounder. That’s a significant shift in leverage.
And if a superstar like Giannis Antetokounmpo were to shake loose from Milwaukee, suddenly the Lakers would be in position to make a serious play.
Internally, there’s a growing belief that the real window to reshape this roster won’t open until the summer. According to team sources, there’s been some reflection on how the Dallas Mavericks slowly built around Luka Dončić.
It didn’t happen overnight. Dallas didn’t reach the Western Conference Finals until Dončić’s fourth season, and even when they made the NBA Finals in 2024, it was more about his brilliance than a perfectly constructed roster.
The Lakers are drawing parallels to that journey. They know they need more athleticism, better shooting, and stronger perimeter defense.
And they’re aware that no single move at this deadline is going to check all those boxes. It’s not for lack of trying-it’s just the reality of their current asset pool and the market.
As it stands, the Lakers are a good team when healthy. Maybe even very good.
But they’re not in that top tier of title contenders. Some around the league believe they’re just a couple of solid two-way players away from being elite.
Others think it’ll take something bigger-like a blockbuster swing for a superstar-to get them back to the mountaintop.
Either way, the message is clear: while fans may be hoping for a splash before the deadline, the Lakers are playing the long game. The real fireworks might not come in February-but don’t be surprised if they light up the summer.