Coming into the 2022-2023 NBA season, the Lakers were assumed to be a lock for the playoffs. They make the playoffs whenever a team has LeBron James on it. However, this year has been the toughest for the Lakers. They started the season 2-10, struggled to shoot, and dealt with the regression of Russell Westbrook.

While they have gone on a 7-2 winning streak to put them at 9-12, they’re only 16% likely to make the playoffs as it stands currently. The bad news doesn’t stop there, either. The Lakers do not own their first-round pick. So why don’t they have this pick; it was used to acquire Anthony Davis from the Pelicans. In a draft with the possibility of selecting one of the most intriguing offensive prospects since Kevin Durant, Victor Wembanyama is the prize in next year’s draft. The 7’3″ prospect plays as a primary ball handler, with the intelligence and length to become a blocking machine. Wembanyama is so lengthy that he gathers from the three-point line in many of his drives to the basket.

There are two options if you are in the Lakers’ front office in the future. Do you listen to the outside pressure and trade Anthony Davis (your best player and biggest asset at the moment), or do you lean into the lousy record, miss the playoffs, and weather the Los Angeles media nightmare that will continue the rest of the season?

Option One: Trade Time

At this moment, Anthony Davis is back at his superstar level. Davis is averaging 27 points per game and almost 13 rebounds per game. In addition, he’s been a more significant force defensively, hanging around the top five among centers in defensive rating. So let’s say the Lakers want to blow it up, trade Anthony Davis, and gather young assets back while addressing their current faults. Their two main areas to improve are three-point shooting and rebounding. So I’ve come up with two trades to address both.

Trade One: Anthony Davis for Buddy Hield and Myles Turner

Hield and Turner have been in the crosshairs of basically every team since they were traded to the Indiana Pacers. The reason is that Hield is a top-five three-point shooter in the league, averaging almost 40% from three for his career. Myles Turner is a decent three-point shooter but thrives on contesting and blocking shots. Buddy Hield is under contract for another year, and Turner’s contract is up at the end of this year. Retaining Hield will help you go into free agency the following year because you already have a lethal three-point shooter on the team.

Trade Two: Anthony Davis for Lauri Markkanen and Jordan Clarkson

While Markkanen won’t give you as much defense as Myles Turner will, the duo of Clarkson and Lauri will score enough to make up for it. Markkanen has had a breakout year, averaging 22 points per game while shooting over 41% from downtown, all at seven feet tall. Jordan Clarkson continues to be a scorer, averaging a career-high 19 points per game as a crucial scorer for the Utah Jazz. Markkanen recently signed an extension and won’t be a free agent until 2025, while Clarkson has a player option for next year.

Option Two: Weather The Storm

If you feel your Public Relations team is top of the class, you can go this route and weather the storm of missing the playoffs and retooling in the offseason. The Lakers only have four people on their payroll next year, which include LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Overall, they’ll have $90 million on the books, giving them an estimated $70 million to spend in the offseason to stay below the luxury tax. Some notable free agents include James Harden, Kyrie Irving, Kristaps Porzingus, Kevin Love, D’Angelo Russell, Nikola Vucevic, Fred VanVleet, and Jerami Grant. As I mentioned before, they’re lacking three-point shooting and rebounding. Three shooters that would instantly improve your team while staying within budget would be: Seth Curry, Joe Ingles, and Josh Richardson. I see three great options on the rebounding side: Christian Wood, Brook Lopez, and Nerlens Noel. I can see a reunion in LA with D’Angelo Russell, but his price tag can be between $20 million to $25 million per year. You can pick this route and have a wide-open free agency to improve your team, but you must make it through this season without losing the fans.

The Los Angeles Lakers are in an exciting situation. They need to play better to make the playoffs, and they don’t own their first-round pick this year. Anthony Davis is back in form, averaging close to career highs while continuing his defensive mastery. If you want to go that route, this makes him the best trade asset on the team. On the other hand, if the Lakers stand pat and ride out the rest of the season, they will have some good options to rebuild this team for the 2023 season. Which way would you go?