Team Report: LeBron James may miss the first 15 games, Lakers need trades to have a shot at the championship

On October 10th Beijing time, Lakers reporter Buha spoke with fans on a podcast about LeBron James’ injury and possible trade scenarios for the Lakers. Below are key highlights from his podcast —

LeBron’s injury changes the Lakers’ situation — we won’t be able to precisely assess the team’s actual strength through the initial 10 to 15 games. Remember, the so-called “reevaluation after 3-4 weeks” doesn’t mean he will return then; he will be out for at least 3 weeks, likely close to 4, followed by additional time to regain form. Therefore, missing 10, 12, or even 15 games is quite possible.

In terms of short-term results, this is undoubtedly a setback, as the Lakers may lose 1-2 more games because of it; more importantly, the team can’t accurately identify lineup weaknesses or player fit in a healthy rotation during this period. Still, the Lakers’ shortcomings remain clear: they lack versatile two-way perimeter players, with most current wings proficient on only one end and showing clear flaws or limitations on the other.

Thus, the priority should be to add more “two-way versatile” players, specifically a 3-and-D guard or wing who can fit alongside Doncic and Reeves in the starting lineup. The ideal candidate must be able to defend positions 1-3 (or even 1-4 or 2-4), allowing Reeves to focus on secondary perimeter defense while James and Doncic handle secondary interior defense.

Such players are hard to find and come at a high cost. Relying solely on Hachimura, or the Vincent-Kleber duo, clearly won’t achieve the goal; the Lakers may need to give up Knect or even a first-round pick. However, if the target player is of high quality, this investment is justified. I do not recommend the Lakers trade first-round picks or Knect recklessly for average players; clear standards must be set to decisively pursue only top-tier talent.

With the right trade, such as acquiring Wiggins, Dillon, or even bigger names, especially securing a suitable fifth starter and moving current candidates (like Hachimura, Vanderbilt, Smart) to the bench, the Lakers could compete with the Nuggets and Thunder and have a real chance at the championship.