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The Los Angeles Lakers have been linked to many top players in recent trade rumors, and they might have to move on from a defensive guard in the process to make any of those deals work.
The Los Angeles Lakers have a strong core together, at least for this year. With LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and Deandre Ayton leading the way, the Lakers have a few other rotational players that could be moved in a trade to bolster their title hopes.
While they have been reportedly interested in trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo or Andrew Wiggins, both of whom would require vastly different packages, one player on the Lakers’ current roster stands out as the most likely to be moved in a deal before the deadline.
Writing for Bleacher Report, Grant Hughes expects Gabe Vincent to be Los Angeles’ most likely trade option over the next two months.
“Rui Hachimura‘s shooting is too valuable, and Jarred Vanderbilt‘s contract runs into 2027-28. That leaves Gabe Vincent as the most logical mid-tier salary the Los Angeles Lakers might consider trading,” Hughes wrote.
Vincent has played in just 12 games for the Lakers this year, starting in six of them, with averages of 5.1 points, one rebound, and 1.7 assists on 35.2% shooting.
Gabe Vincent Likely To Be Traded
Vincent missed a few weeks earlier in the season with an ankle sprain and hasn’t been an efficient offensive contributor to this Lakers team. He did have a season-high 18 points in their loss to the Boston Celtics, but so far, that was his only game scoring double-digits, as in every other game, he’s scored between three and six points.
However, Vincent isn’t in Los Angeles for his offensive game, but rather his prowess on defense. Though he was hurt and missed time, he is one of the team’s top perimeter defenders. But Smart and Vanderbilt hold more value for the Lakers right now, meaning Vincent is on the outside looking in as it relates to his future in L.A.
“On a team that doesn’t exactly over-index on passable backcourt defenders who can occasionally shoot from deep, Vincent has real value,” Hughes wrote. “Marcus Smart has been surprisingly playable, though, and a healthy Vanderbilt is a more dynamic defensive weapon—one who can cover several positions.”
His contract, both with what the Lakers are paying him and what they could get back in return, isn’t great. Though he’s shown flashes, it’s hard to expect him, Smart, and Vanderbilt all playing meaningful minutes every night while they sit behind Doncic and Reaves in the depth chart.
The Lakers could use another defensive ace, but likely one with a bit more size compared to Vincent’s 6’2” frame.
“At just $11 million this season, Vincent isn’t going to bring back a major upgrade,” Hughes added. “But he could be part of a package that returns a rotation-worthy defender with more size and versatility. It would take some sweetening, but the veteran guard could feature in a deal for Mavericks center Daniel Gafford.”
Lakers Trade Rumors
As Hughes mentioned, the Lakers have been eying Gafford as a potential target for a few months now. With everything going on in Dallas, he looks to be on the trade block, and he previously proved successful alongside the franchise star in Doncic.
A trade for him would likely need to include someone else besides just Vincent, which could be difficult for Los Angeles to give up.
“Coincidentally enough, one of the teams with strong interest in Gafford dating back to last season is the Los Angeles Lakers, sources said,” Brett Siegel wrote for ClutchPoints a few weeks ago. “Could we see a reunion between Luka Doncic and Gafford in Los Angeles in February?”
The same could be said for Wiggins, whom the Lakers have also been eyeing recently. While he is making a lot more money than Gafford, a trade for either would have to have a player like Hachimura or Vanderbilt, but even still, the franchise’s top-heavy salary cap makes a deal like that pretty difficult.
Then we get to Antetokounmpo, as the Lakers have been one of many teams hoping to land the two-time MVP, as his tenure with the Bucks seems to be coming to an end. Los Angeles has very few options on a mid-season deal for the Greek Freak. Their best option would likely be a sign-and-trade with Milwaukee for Reaves’ potential max deal over the summer.
Which side says no🤔
Austin Reaves, salary fillers and the 2031 1st for Giannis😲
But still, the Lakers don’t have anything close to what teams like the Toronto Raptors, San Antonio Spurs, or Miami Heat could offer. They’ve always been good at landing superstars, but Antetokounmpo might be a bit too rich, meaning a lower-level deal for Vincent looks a lot more likely.
Eli Gregorski is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy Sports. He has years of sports writing experience covering the NBA, NFL, college football and basketball, international soccer, and Formula One. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder, where he was the assistant sports editor for the award-winning CU Independent student publication. More about Eli Gregorski
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