The Los Angeles Lakers (36-30) are currently 9th in the Western Conference mainly due to LeBron James and Anthony Davis playing at All-Star levels. The King is averaging 25.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 8.0 assists per game while Davis is chipping in 24.8 points and 12.5 rebounds per game so far, and that is the main reason the Lakers are looking to sneak into the postseason through the play-in tournament yet again.

That still means this summer is extremely important. The Lakers likely won’t win the NBA championship since the Denver Nuggets are the favorites in the West, without even mentioning the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks in the East. The Lakers’ contract status in the summer of 2024 is very interesting, and there could be a host of players who will leave the team.

Austin Reaves has been somewhat of a revelation for the Lakers after earning major minutes in the 2021-22 season as an undrafted rookie. His offensive skills have massively improved but there are doubts about his ability to be a long-term third option behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Reaves is effective at handling the ball and also creating offense, but is he untouchable?

The answer is no. The Lakers need to go all-in this summer to acquire a third bonafide All-Star and waiting for the nearly 26-year-old to somehow develop into one is not the right approach. The Purple and Gold will be ruthless this summer and Reaves will be the player opposing teams will be asking for, quite rightly.

A package that could be of use for the Lakers includes Austin Reaves heading over to the Atlanta Hawks in apackage centered around All-Star point guard, Trae Young. The Lakers need a third star, and even if Young isn’t quite available, other options include trading for Dejounte Murray or DeMar DeRozan. Reaves is the Lakers’ hottest trade commodity and he could be leveraged to create a Big Three.

Rui Hachimura is another interesting player who seems to be plateauing right now. His numbers haven’t improved as a member of the Lakers despite his talent which is easy to see. The Japanese forward has a consistent mid-range jumper and can also battle down low, making him a versatile offensive threat.

At 26 years old, Hachimura also has plenty of time to develop his game even more although he might never reach All-Star status. That is exactly why the Lakers will look to trade him this summer and why he isn’t untouchable because rebuilding teams with star players will happily take back a young scorer if it means heading toward the tanking process.

Rui could probably be included in any huge blockbuster deal this summer, and the Lakers would look to find a third star such as Trae Young, Zach LaVine, Dejounte Murray, or DeMar DeRozan (sign-and-trade scenario). These are the most readily available stars who could come to the Lakers, meaning Hachimura could be sacrificed for the right player.

Jarred Vanderbilt went from being untouchable last season to one of the Lakers’ most valuable trade assets. At nearly 25 years old, Vanderbilt is on a team-friendly deal that pays him under $13 million per season until 2026-27. He is an above-average defender, has size and athleticism at 6’8”, and could start for a few NBA teams right now. The Lakers probably don’t want to use athletes, but they need to do what it takes to create a Big Three and the youngster could be used for the right price.

The Lakers fell into the “Kendrick Nunn” trap when they opted to sign the starting point guard for an over-performing Miami Heat team that made the NBA Finals. Vincent certainly had an important role last season, but he has struggled mightily with his health with the Lakers this season. Only posting 5.4 points and 3.0 assists per game over five appearances this season, the Lakers cannot afford to pray that Vincent is healthy and will hope to use his contract that pays him $11,000,000 and $11,500,000 over the next two seasons to sign an All-Star player. Will there be any buyers for Vincent’s contract? That is the question.

As we will come to see, Jaxson Hayes will be one of the few Lakers players who will almost certainly reject his player option in an effort to secure a longer-term deal from any NBA team out there. Hayes is only 23 years old and stands 7’0” tall, so his potential is still there to see. It would be very surprising if no NBA team strikes a deal for the big man because he can certainly be paid more than what his $2,463,946 player option entails. Acquiring Hayes was a good move at the start of the year, but it just hasn’t materialized on the stat sheet or wins column.

Cam Reddish is not reaching his potential and something isn’t right with him. He has all the athleticism in the world, is only 24 years old, and was a former No. 10 overall pick. However, he hasn’t found a home yet and it doesn’t seem to be with the Lakers. Reddish will still reject his $2,463,946 player option and look for a long-term deal that pays him the most money this summer. There was nothing wrong with Rob Pelinka’s gamble on him, but it just hasn’t paid off and it could be time to part ways with each other.