The Lakers have one preseason game left, and then the real pressure starts.
Los Angeles closes out exhibition play against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets at Crypto.com Arena on Fri. Oct. 16, and once that game is over, the front office will have to get the roster down to 15 players. That deadline is Oct. 21, and according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, the Lakers are still among the teams exploring trade options as the clock keeps ticking.
There has been plenty of talk in recent weeks about how the Lakers might trim the roster, whether that means simply waiving a player or trying to package two players in a deal. Fischer noted that “The Clippers waiving Cam Christie leaves Charlotte, Milwaukee, Memphis and the Lakers as the most pertinent back-of-roster situations NBA personnel are monitoring before Oct.
- Have heard the Bucks, Lakers and Grizzlies all exploring trades.
Hornets have to weigh the locker…”
Rob Pelinka has likely been working the phones for a while, but finding a team willing to take what the Lakers are offering has not been easy. That could change in the final week before rosters are set, when teams often get aggressive trying to clean up the back end of the roster.
The biggest issue pushing Los Angeles toward a deal is the frontcourt. The Lakers are thin up front, especially at center behind Walker Kessler and Kevon Looney.
Kessler made his Lakers preseason debut in Tuesday night’s loss to the Warriors, and he was hard to miss. The 25-year-old looked sharp on both ends and showed little rust despite appearing in all but five games last season.
Walker Kessler vs Warriors:16 MIN 11 PTS 9 REB 1 AST 1 STL 1 BLK 70.9 TS% pic.twitter.com/FH7MXFvS5z
The problem came when Kessler sat. Looney’s minutes made the drop-off at center obvious, and that is exactly the kind of depth concern that has pushed the Lakers toward keeping trade conversations alive.
One possible name in the mix is Jalen Smith of the Chicago Bulls, though it is still unclear whether Chicago would be willing to part with him before the opener.
As for the players most often mentioned as trade candidates, Jarred Vanderbilt, Dalton Knecht, Bronny James and Jaden Hardy have all come up. If the Lakers do complete a consolation trade in the coming week or so, it is highly likely that two of those four names would be involved.
In Other News...
Lakers Opener Suddenly Comes With A Major Warriors Frontcourt Twist
The Warriors are heading into the season with an unexpected frontcourt question hanging over them, and its one the Lakers will be watching closely when the opener arrives. Kristaps Porzingis has already missed training camp and the first five preseason games because of a health-related issue, and his absence has been one of the most notable developments around Golden State as it tries to settle its rotation and get organized before the games start to count.
Porzingis recently returned to the teams practice facility and met with officials, but the Warriors have said he will remain out indefinitely. For a Lakers team preparing for a matchup that could already demand careful attention to size and interior matchups, the uncertainty around his status matters even more because Golden State is offering no timetable yet, only the promise of updates when they become available. [Read more 🡒]
Walker Kessler Gave Lakers Fans An Early Reason To Be Excited
Walker Kessler finally got on the floor for the Lakers in preseason action after missing the first three exhibition games with a finger injury, and the early returns were enough to catch attention. In 16 minutes against the Warriors, he put up 11 points and nine rebounds while also making his presence felt on the defensive end, a reminder of the kind of interior help Los Angeles hoped to get when he returned.
JJ Redick came away impressed, pointing to Kesslers fit with the group and the impact he made in the first half. For a team still sorting out its preseason rotations, seeing a big man step in, rebound, defend and look comfortable right away offered a useful glimpse of how he can matter once the games count for real. [Read more 🡒]
Steve Kerr Wasn't Buying The Warriors' Feel-Good Comeback Vs Lakers
Golden States 101-89 preseason win over the Lakers had the look of a momentum-building comeback on the surface, especially after Los Angeles carried a 20-point lead and Austin Reaves poured in 28 points before exiting in the third quarter. But for Steve Kerr, the final score did not erase the stretches that made the night feel messy, and the Warriors coach made clear afterward that the performance came with plenty of noise around it.
The issues Kerr pointed to were the ones that tend to matter once the games start counting: turnovers, uneven execution and an offense that never settled into a clean rhythm for long. A rally against the Lakers can still count as a win, but for Golden State it also served as a reminder that a preseason comeback does not necessarily mean the details are where they need to be. [Read more 🡒]