Lakers Could Trade 3 Key Assets For Roster Upgrade As Rumors Grow

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Lakers Could Trade 3 Key Assets For Roster Upgrade As Rumors Grow

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 13: President of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during warmups before the team's preseason game against the Golden State Warriors at T-Mobile Arena on October 13, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Warriors defeated the Lakers 101-89. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) Getty

Eli Gregorski · HEAVY

Wed, November 4, 2026 at 7:50 PM UTC ·

7 min read

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A new Lakers trade pitch lands a 41% 3-point shooter while sending Jarred Vanderbilt to the Rockets in a proposed three-team deal. Getty

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 12: Jarred Vanderbilt #2 of the Los Angeles Lakers wants a foul call against the Dallas Mavericks in the second half at Crypto.com Arena on February 12, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. Getty

The Los Angeles Lakers have gotten off to a hot 6-2 start to the 2026-27 NBA season, but while riding Luka Doncic's historic MVP-level start to the year, that doesn't rule out the team making a trade to upgrade the roster, likely at the power forward or backup center position.

The Lakers were reportedly in trade talks late into the summer and, since the start of the year, are expected to continue searching the trade market to explore the players who could be available in a deal.

Los Angeles doesn't have a ton of trade assets, considering the four picks they gave up this offseason for Walke Kessler, as well as the other big moves they've made over the past few years. Still, the Lakers have one important draft pick and a few players they could package in a deal over the next few months, should one of the team's top trade targets become available ahead of the February 11 deadline.

Lakers Trade Assets Could Land Roster Upgrade

Los Angeles Lakers Jarred Vanderbilt trade rumors, Lakers trade assets, Lakers draft assets, Lakers trade news, Jaden Hardy trade, Lakers news — GettyLos Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick reacts.

Writing for Bleacher Report , Grant Hughes laid out what he believes are the Lakers' three best trade assets as the team has been mentioned in rumors looking for a forward or big man upgrade.

He chose the team's only available pick that can be moved, a 2032 first-round swap, along with Jarred Vanderbilt and Jaden Hardy as Los Angeles' top assets.

"The Lakers put everything that wasn't nailed down into the package for Walker Kessler, so their only movable first-round asset is a distant 2032 swap," he wrote on the franchise's very limited draft chest. "At this point, with so much draft equity out the door, it might actually make some sense to just fire off the rest of it. A team this committed to the current core might as well just go all the way in."

Los Angeles can't trade any more straight-up first-rounders after the Kessler deal , so the 2032 swap would be the only available draft asset the front office could move.

Additionally, while neither Vanderbilt nor Hardy are technically on expiring contracts, the first has a $13.2 million player option for next year , while the other has a $6 million team option for 2027-28 . The Lakers could package both of them as a salary dump to a team looking for extra cap space later on.

It's nowhere close to the best trade assets in the league, but if Los Angeles is seriously looking at making a deal for a new player, outside of a risky decision like moving one of the other key rotational players, this is likely all the front office could package to upgrade the roster.

"Of course, that strategy only makes sense if the right player becomes available. Even then, the Lakers are woefully short on non-essential players to send out in a trade. Hardy and Vanderbilt come closest, though the latter might not be a positive-value asset on his own," Hughes added of the Lakers' trade assets. "Los Angeles made its move in the offseason. With so little to offer, this team is going to sink or swim with what it has."

Los Angeles Willing To Part Ways With Available Picks And Players

As Hughes mentioned, trading the 2032 pick swap might be the most realistic, and perhaps easiest, option for the Lakers to move. The team doesn't have any other tradeable first-round assets until next season, so after going all-in on building a roster that fits around Luka Doncic this summer, there's not a ton of reason why dealing the final draft pick is a chance, given what the plan has been already, given that it could help add another rotational player and consistent contributor.

As it relates to Vanderbilt and his contract, the Lakers have reportedly been trying to trade him for years, according to team reporter Jovan Buha.

"The Lakers have been trying to trade both of these players going back really almost two seasons," he said on his Buha's Block show when Dalton Knecht was still on the team, when speaking about him and Vanderbilt. "They've been shopping these guys for a while, well over a year. They were shopping them last deadline. They've been shopping them this offseason. They've not been able to offload them."

"When people continue to throw out Jared Vanderbilt starter, Jared Vanderbilt prominent role, I've pushed back that JJ just does not view Jared in that light," he added. "There's just a gap between how I think a lot of the fan base views Vando and how JJ views him."

Despite signing a four-year, $48 million contract with the franchise a few seasons ago, Vanderbilt remains on the edge of the rotation. He doesn't get a ton of playing time, and averaged less than five points per game in the previous three seasons, with that number down to just 1.5 points in 13.3 minutes so far this year.

As for Hardy, he's also someone the Lakers have been looking to trade. The young guard was in a battle with Knecht and Bronny James for the team's final roster cut before the season began, and as Buha previously reported, he's firmly on the trade block.

"Now the funny thing is the Lakers are going to be trying to trade Jaden Hardy," he said before the season began.

"Jaden Hardy is not, I think, a serious rotation player," the LA insider added . "I think they're gonna try to flip Hardy."

But while the Lakers might be interested in flipping all of these assets, it's going to be a lot easier said than done. A package of the 2032 swap, Vanderbilt, and Hardy won't get them very far in the trade market, so unless a low-level player becomes available, the franchise is going to have to add stronger assets into the mix for a true roster upgrade.

The Lakers are reportedly eyeing a move in the trade market , and as time goes on, despite the strong start to the year, the pressure will only mount on the team to make a move to capitalize on Doncic's historic start and a wide-open Western Conference.

This article was originally published on HEAVY

The post Lakers Could Trade 3 Key Assets For Roster Upgrade As Rumors Grow appeared first on HEAVY .

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