The Los Angeles Lakers have a mounting slew of uncertainty as they enter the offseason. From LeBron James mulling retirement to the future of Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura, the Lakers have no shortage of question marks. Yet, beyond LeBron’s playing future, the biggest question mark may be what Los Angeles chooses to do at the point guard position.
Despite some positive returns early on, chances are D’Angelo Russell played himself out of the Lakers’ future this postseason. The former No. 2 overall pick was highly sporadic, totaling just 25 points over the entirety of the Conference Finals.
The rumblings of Kyrie Irving reuniting with LeBron in Los Angeles are unlikely to go away any time soon, and in terms of a pure basketball fit, has its merits. Still, Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes reported back in April that the Dallas Mavericks are expected to re-sign the enigmatic superstar, possibly leaving the Lakers scrambling to look elsewhere for help at point guard.
Here are three potential alternative routes the Lakers could consider to fill their pending void:
Terry Rozier
The least “sexy” possible acquisition of the bunch, Rozier has been regularly linked to the Lakers in the past. Los Angeles even discussed a multi-team deal last summer that would have brought Rozier to Southern California, per Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report.
Under contract through 2026, Rozier is an active body that would deliver excitement and grit to LA’s backcourt. He’s averaged 20-plus points in two of the past three seasons.
Fred VanVleet
Much like Rozier, VanVleet is no stranger to rumors linking him to the Lakers. On Tuesday, Brian Windhorst added to that speculation, name-dropping the former NBA champion as a potential alternative acquisition to Irving while appearing on ESPN’s Get Up.
VanVleet is a dynamic scorer and playmaker who averaged a career-high 7.2 assists in 2022-23 but has regressed defensively in recent years. His relationship with Klutch Sports, which also represents LeBron and Anthony Davis, helps connect the dots for a possible sign-and-trade scenario.
Trae Young
The pie-in the sky scenario, the Lakers have had “internal discussions” about what a “hypothetical trade offer” for Young would look like, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic—as any well-run team should do when they believe a talented player might be up for grabs.
The 24-year-old Young is a two-time All-Star and one of the league’s premier players at his position. His ball-handling skills and scoring prowess would take the immediate pressure off of LeBron, making his addition the most impactful hypothetical scenario on this list, albeit the most far-fetched.
Young is under contract for at least three more seasons, eliminating any true urgency for Atlanta to make a move. With that said his run-ins with the Hawks brass have been well-documented. Sources told Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer in April that the front office in Atlanta has “the green light from ownership to do whatever it wants to with the roster,” including any trade opportunities involving Young.
So, you’re saying there’s a chance?
