Lakers Stay Quiet While Agbaji Slips Through Their Fingers in Clippers-Nets-Raptors Trade
While the NBA trade market starts to heat up, the Los Angeles Lakers are staying surprisingly quiet. Other teams are cutting deals, moving money, and flipping role players, while the purple and gold are sitting on the sidelines. Case in point: a three-team trade involving the Clippers, Nets, and Raptors that saw Chris Paul briefly land in Toronto, only to be bought out, and Ochai Agbaji rerouted to Brooklyn - all while the Lakers watched from afar.
Here’s the breakdown: The Clippers sent CP3 to the Raptors. Toronto, in turn, attached Ochai Agbaji, a 2032 second-round pick, and some cash to the Nets.
Brooklyn took on Agbaji’s contract and picked up $3.5 million from the Clippers in the process. Toronto, meanwhile, is expected to waive Chris Paul before he even unpacks a bag.
Now here’s where things get interesting - and where Lakers fans might be scratching their heads.
Agbaji, who’s making just $6.4 million this season, is on an expiring deal. That’s the kind of manageable contract that doesn’t tie up long-term cap space - exactly the type of move that could’ve helped the Lakers bolster their wing depth without sacrificing future flexibility. Instead, the Nets swooped in and took the flyer.
Let’s be clear: Agbaji isn’t a game-changer right now. He’s averaging just 4.3 points and 2.3 rebounds in 15.5 minutes per game this season and has struggled to carve out a role in Toronto’s crowded rotation.
He didn’t exactly light it up when the Raptors faced the Lakers earlier this year, either. That performance might’ve left a sour taste in the mouths of Rob Pelinka and the Lakers’ front office.
But here’s the thing - this is the same Ochai Agbaji who, just last season, averaged 10.4 points per game and shot nearly 40% from deep. That kind of shooting and athleticism on the wing doesn’t grow on trees, especially for a Lakers team that could use more two-way contributors around LeBron and AD.
This wasn’t a blockbuster move. It didn’t require parting with a first-round pick or a core rotation player.
It was a low-risk opportunity to take a shot on a 3-and-D wing who’s still just 25 years old and has shown he can produce when given consistent minutes. And the price?
A future second-rounder and some cash.
That’s what makes the Lakers’ silence here so puzzling. If they’re not going after fringe upgrades like Agbaji - the kind of move that could help them in the margins - then what’s the plan?
Are they holding out for a bigger swing? Or is this shaping up to be another deadline where the Lakers stand pat while the rest of the West reloads?
There’s still time before the trade buzzer sounds, but the early signs suggest Los Angeles might be more cautious than aggressive this year. And if that’s the case, it could be a missed opportunity - not just with Agbaji, but with the kind of depth pieces that often make the difference come playoff time.