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Lakers Feeling Urgency To Make Deadline Move

February 9th 2022 at 7:39am CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers are feeling urgency to make a move prior to the trade deadline to try to get their season back on track, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

According to McMenamin, the team’s latest loss – to the defending champion Bucks – on Tuesday, led to the “uneasy admission” in the locker room that the current roster just isn’t working. Sources tell ESPN that standing pat at the deadline and hoping for the best isn’t viewed as a viable option by Lakers players.

After the game, star forward LeBron James acknowledged that there’s a significant gap between the Lakers and a serious title contender like Milwaukee.

“It tells me we ain’t on their level,” James said, per McMenamin. “I mean, I could have told you that before the game. … Obviously you always kind of use games to see where you are at that moment. But we know where we are at this moment: sitting at a couple, few games under .500. Haven’t played the basketball that we’d like to play.”

As Bill Oram of The Athletic writes, James offered a clear answer when asked if he thought the current roster was capable of reaching the Bucks’ level: “Do I think we can reach the level where Milwaukee is right now? Um, no. Is that what you wanted to hear? No.”

While the Lakers may feel more compelled than ever to shake up their roster at the deadline, their ability to do so will be limited due to their lack of valuable trade chips.

Here’s more on the Lakers:

  • For the third time this season, Russell Westbrook was benched during crunch-time minutes on Tuesday. Asked after the game about what he had to do to earn a consistent spot in L.A.’s closing lineups, Westbrook rejected the premise of the question, per McMenamin. “I shouldn’t have to hit any benchmark, to be honest,” Westbrook said. “I’ve put a lot of work and I’ve got a lot of respect in this game. I don’t got to hit a benchmark, or I shouldn’t have to. I’ve earned a right to be in closing lineups.”
  • One Lakers staffer who had reservations about the Westbrook trade when the team made the deal in the offseason told Oram, “I didn’t think it would be this bad.”
  • Lakers head coach Frank Vogel said on Tuesday that the team remains hopeful Kendrick Nunn will be able to play this season, but acknowledged that the point guard is unlikely to suit up until at least March, per Kyle Goon of the Southern California News Group. Nunn, who is considered one of L.A.’s only trade chips, hasn’t played at all this season due to a right knee injury.
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