The Los Angeles Lakers aren’t rushing to make any major trades. Instead, they could opt to make smaller deals to better balance their roster to support LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
They have the backdrop of last season’s Western Conference Finals run as proof it can work.
“If they do that again in the weeks ahead, they should pursue Kelly Olynyk,” The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor wrote on January 30. “Olynyk is exactly the type of big who could play with or without Davis in the lineup, giving Ham his desired frontcourt lineup flexibility to dictate matchups against opponents.”
“It’d depend on the type of demand Olynyk receives leaguewide. But since he’s an upcoming free agent, future seconds from the Lakers and [Gabe] Vincent’s theoretical value once he gets healthy would be quite competitive.”
O’Connor’s hypothetical trade package would add nearly $2 million to the Lakers’ cap sheet this season. But it would remove two-plus seasons and $22-plus million left on Vincent’s contract.
The Lakers have the draft capital to make it happen if that’s all it takes.
Lakers get:
– Kelly Olynyk
Jazz get:
– Gabe Vincent
– 2025 second-round pick
– 2027 second-round pick
What Kelly Olynyk Would Bring in a Trade
Olynyk, 32, is averaging 8.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 4.3 assists while shooting 43% from beyond the arc, albeit on just 1.7 attempts, for the Utah Jazz this season. He is in the last year of a three-year, $37.2 million contract.
As much as anything, he’s been durable, appearing in 46 of 48 contests for Utah, who are in 10th place in the Western Conference standings at 24-24 entering play on January 30.
If there is a concern, it is that the Jazz have performed better without Olynyk on the floor.
They have a minus-3.7 net efficiency differential with Olynyk and a minus-2.3 differential when he sits, per Cleaning The Glass. And the expiring contract means paying a 33-year-old rotational big man.
If not for his standalone value, the Lakers could also see the appeal of Olynyk compared to their in-house backup big men.
Potential Kelly Olynyk Trade Could Address Lakers’ Backup Big Man Issues
“The Lakers have given chances to Christian Wood and Jaxson Hayes throughout the season, and it seems that Wood has won the battle for minutes behind AD,” O’Connor wrote. “But Wood hasn’t been shooting 3s as well as he did in recent seasons, and he remains unreliable on defense.”
Wood joined the Lakers after a prolonged stay in free agency.
Head Coach Darvin Ham vouched for what Wood would bring to the rotation. But he has been inconsistent and, at times, in and out of the rotation. Potentially worse for the Lakers, Wood’s two-year, $5.7 million contract has a $3 million player option for next season.
Hayes started over Wood in Davis’ absence versus the Hawks. Hayes is also in the first year of a two-year contract — worth $4.6 million — which also has a player option ($2.5 million).
The trade deadline is on February 8.
The Lakers will play three more games before then, all of which are on the road. For a team that has struggled on the road, it could be difficult to assess just what moves should be made before the deadline.
