The phone calls are happening. Right now. In a windowless office in El Segundo, Rob Pelinka is probably nursing a lukewarm espresso while staring at a whiteboard covered in names like Herb Jones and Dillon Brooks.
Lakers fans are restless.
It’s January 2026, and the vibe around NBA trades LA Lakers fans are obsessing over feels… different. This isn't just about finding another shooter to stand in the corner. The franchise is sitting at 24-14, holding onto the No. 5 seed in the West, but the foundation feels like it’s made of dry sand. One gust of wind—or one more double-digit blowout—and the whole thing collapses.
Honestly, the "all-in" move already happened last year. Remember the shock? Sending Anthony Davis to Dallas for Luka Doncic was the kind of earthquake that usually only happens in video games. But here we are. Luka is leading the league in scoring, LeBron is somehow still productive at 41, and yet, the defense is a sieve.
The Austin Reaves Dilemma and the Rich Paul Podcast
You've probably heard the noise coming from the Game Over podcast. Rich Paul basically went on air and suggested the Lakers should call Memphis about a deal involving Austin Reaves and Jaren Jackson Jr. LeBron tried to distance himself from it. "Rich is his own man," he told Dave McMenamin. But in NBA circles, nothing is accidental.
Reaves is currently sidelined with a calf strain, and he’s eligible for a massive extension this summer. The Lakers love him. The fans adore him. But can you realistically win a title with a backcourt of Luka and Reaves when neither can stop a beach ball from rolling past them? Probably not.
If the Lakers actually pull the trigger on a Reaves deal, it’s because they’ve accepted that this roster is too small and too soft on the perimeter.
Who Is Actually on the Move?
Forget the Giannis pipe dreams for a second. Let's look at the actual chess pieces Pelinka has on the board:
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- Dalton Knecht: The 2024 first-round pick is the odd man out. JJ Redick has basically buried him in the rotation. He's averaging barely 13 minutes a game and spent a chunk of time in the G-League. He's the most likely "sweetener" in any deal.
- Gabe Vincent and Jarred Vanderbilt: Kevin O’Connor mentioned they’re being packaged together. They are the "salary ballast." If you want a $25 million wing, you have to send out these mid-sized contracts.
- The 2032 First-Rounder: This is the "In Case of Emergency" glass. The Lakers are reportedly trying to flip this one high-value pick into multiple lesser first-rounders, similar to what Phoenix did a while back.
The Realistic Targets
If you're expecting a third superstar, you're going to be disappointed. The Lakers are hunting for 3-and-D wings.
Dillon Brooks is a name that keeps surfacing. He’s currently with the Suns, and while his personality is "polarizing" (to put it mildly), he’s exactly the kind of irritant this team needs. He doesn't need the ball. He just wants to guard the other team's best player and hit the occasional corner three.
Then there's Robert Williams III. The "Time Lord" is always hurt, which is why his value is low. But if he's healthy for a playoff run? He gives you the rim protection that Deandre Ayton sometimes lacks when his motor isn't running at 100%.
JJ Redick and the "Accountability" Problem
Being the coach of the Lakers is a nightmare. Doing it as a second-year coach while trying to manage LeBron’s "final act" and Luka’s prime? That’s a whole different level of stress.
JJ Redick is in a weird spot. He recently admitted he doesn't know how to fix the struggling offense when LeBron is off the floor. That’s a scary thing for a coach to say out loud.
There’s also the Rui Hachimura situation. Redick didn't play him against the Kings despite Rui being healthy. It backfired. The Lakers got torched from deep. If Redick can’t get the rotation right, the front office might feel forced to trade away the players he won't use just to give him a roster he will play.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Cap
The Lakers actually have a weird amount of flexibility coming up. If they don't do anything stupid, they could have north of $50 million in cap space in the 2026 offseason.
This is the "gap year" theory. Do you burn all your assets now to try and win with a 41-year-old LeBron? Or do you wait until the summer to build a sustainable powerhouse around Luka?
If Pelinka stands pat, he's betting on the latter. But "standing pat" doesn't sell tickets in LA.
The Actionable Reality
If you're tracking NBA trades LA Lakers rumors, keep your eyes on the "smaller" names. The blockbuster was last year. This year is about surgery, not a transplant.
- Watch the 2032 pick: If it moves, the Lakers are going for a significant upgrade (like Jaren Jackson Jr. or Herb Jones).
- Monitor the injury report: If Reaves stays out longer than expected, the urgency to trade for a secondary creator increases.
- Keep an eye on the Warriors: Jonathan Kuminga is disgruntled in Golden State. He’s exactly the kind of high-upside athlete the Lakers lack. If his price drops, Pelinka will be the first one to call.
The trade deadline is February 5th. Between now and then, expect a lot of smokescreens. Just remember: in LA, where there's smoke, there’s usually a Rich Paul podcast episode behind it.
Actionable Next Steps for Lakers Fans:
- Check the daily injury reports for Austin Reaves; his health dictates the "buy" or "sell" urgency.
- Watch the rotation minutes for Dalton Knecht; if they hit zero, a trade is imminent.
- Follow Western Conference standings closely—if the Lakers slip to the play-in range (7-10), expect a "panic move" involving future picks.