5 best shooters Lakers can sign before the deadline
The LA Lakers are currently 15-12, well over the .500 mark, despite a lack of perimeter shooting. With LeBron James and Anthony Davis being their key offensive weapons, the likes of D'Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves have been propping up threes, while Taurean Prince and Cam Reddish have blown hot and cold.
With the team embarking on a three-game challenging road trip next that sees them take on the Chicago Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves, and the Oklahoma City Thunder, LA will need more assistance in their three-point shooting.
At the time of writing James is shootiing 39.3% from three, and is tied with Russell. As they finish 30 games by the end of the month, the Lakers will head into the trade deadline hoping they can bolster their shooting. Here are five options they can pursue with some of the stars likely to force them to break the bank.
5 shooters the Lakers can sign before the deadline
#5 Gary Trent Jr.
2023-24 stats: 10.3 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.5 assists
Eyebrows were raised when Gary Trent Jr. decided to opt into his $18.6 million salary this season. He now has an expiring deal and is set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. The shooting guard's production has seen a dip considering that he has been moved to a bench role, a situation likely to recur should he sign for LA. But he is still a threat when it comes to draining shots effortlessly from downtown. He is averaging 35.3% from beyond the arc.
#4 DeMar DeRozan
2023-24 stats: 22.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 5.2 assists
DeMar DeRozan has been a longtime Lakers trade rumor staple, and given then Chicago Bulls' struggles, he along with Alex Caruso and Zach LaVine has been listed as names on the trade market. It would make sense for LA to look at DeRozan as an option as the player is almost guaranteed to deliver double-digits day in and day out. He's not a versatile three-point shooter, but certainly does damage with his mid-range sniping.
#3 Alex Caruso
2023-24 stats: 9.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists
Former Laker Alex Caruso knows what it's like to share the floor alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The guard has been a clutch performer for the Bulls and is draining a whopping 45.3% from three-point land this season. For now, Chicago has not looked at him as a player who they would want on the trade market, but Caruso will immediately bolster the Lakers on both ends.
#2 Lauri Markannen
2023-23 stats: 23.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks
Lauri Markannen probably won't want to leave Utah Jazz on his part, but if comes down to the side not playing like contenders, he is better off with a team that's gunning for a championship, especially after LA winning the IST. The big guy is a legitimate shooter with a high point release that makes him a easy score-getter.
#1 Zach LaVine
2023-24 stats: 21.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.4 assists
Zach LaVine is one of the players the Lakers have been linked with rather strongly this season. The guard will break the bank for LA if he is indeed their prize target, and the Purple and Gold may have to part with assets who have been key for them. However, he does bring that lethal shooting and can be the perfect third option behind James and Davis. Unlike the Russell Westbrook experiment, this one has less chances of failing due to the profile and the need of the hour for the Lakers team.