NBA Rumors: Lakers Open To Trading 4 Players, Including Starter

The Los Angeles Lakers are still coming down from the high of winning the first-ever NBA Cup for the In-Season Tournament, but that doesn't mean they aren't still keenly focused on re-arranging their team for the big goal: The NBA Championship.

According to a report by Michael Scotto of HoopsHype on Tuesday, the Lakers are looking at trading starting point guard D'Angelo Russell, plus three other key players. 

Rival NBA executives who have spoken with HoopsHype believe Russell and Rui Hachimura are two potential trade candidates to watch on the Lakers, given their play and the salaries that they earn.

Both players become eligible to be traded as of this Friday, Dec. 15th. Russell has an $18.7 million player option for next season, while Hachimura has two more years after this one, averaging $17M. Russell is having a nice season in his second go-round with the Purple & Gold, averaging 16.6 points and 6.3 assists, while Hachimura is averaging 11.4 points off the bench and 3.5 rebounds. Both are shooting threes at a better than 40% clip.

One other factor that feeds into a potential trade of Russell for the playoff run, is the fact that his performance dropped off a cliff in the postseason last year. 

The other names mentioned by Scotto as being available include two newly acquired players, Gabe Vincent and Christian Wood, who both signed free agent  deals in the offseason.

The trade deadline is just under two months away, on Feb. 8th. 

And so while the Lakers sit at 14-9 and in 6th spot in the Western Conference with an In-Season Tournament title already under their belt, the team that takes to the floor in the NBA playoffs looking for the Larry O'Brien Trophy could look much different. 

Photo: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports