With media day in the books, the 2026-27 NBA season has kicked off for the Los Angeles Lakers. But — apologies for being the party pooper — the Lakers still have questions about their roster, and more importantly, holes to address.
From what we saw Monday, the vibes are high around the Lakers, as they should be. There is fresh energy in the air, plenty of new faces in the building and the anticipation of starting the first season with Luka Doncic unequivocally installed as the leader.
Meanwhile, trade speculation has continued around the Lakers. Last week, general manager Rob Pelinka told reporters at the team facility that the Lakers could explore a “consolidation” trade to become roster-compliant. Naturally, that has fueled rumors that L.A. could add an impact player. With needs in the frontcourt, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Pelinka and co. pull the trigger on a deal that kills two birds with one stone.
Lakers Pitched to Make Big-Time Trade
It isn’t often that a needle-moving trade happens at this juncture of the calendar year, but it perhaps isn’t totally uncommon, either. It sure feels like the Lakers would have made another big trade by now if they were angling for one, but with clear roster needs, no one can confidently say the front office doesn’t have a plan in mind.
One player who has often been linked to the Lakers over the years is star big man Myles Turner, who is believed to be on the trading block in Milwaukee. The 6’11” Bucks center is in his prime and one of the best two-way players at his position, but do the Lakers have enough to acquire him?
“The Los Angeles Lakers need two things: a power forward and a center,” Tyler Tanner of the “As it Stands Lakers” podcast said. “And one guy who can kill two birds with one stone is Myles Turner. The more that I talk and think about Myles Turner on the Lakers playing a role for the Lakers, the more that I like the idea of Myles Turner on the Lakers playing a role for the Lakers.”
Tanner went on to argue that a defensive duo of Turner and new Lakers center Walker Kessler would give L.A. a frontline no other team has.
“I just think he checks off a lot of boxes for the Lakers,” Tanner expressed. “He gives you another rim protector. I mean, you would have the best rim-protecting duo in basketball. … You’d have the shot-blocking, the rim-protection.”
Does L.A. Have Enough to Acquire Turner?
Even if the Lakers were interested in what Turner could bring to the table, there are two potential stumbling blocks: Turner’s hefty contract and L.A.’s limited tradeable assets.
The Lakers have three second round picks and a first round pick swap at their disposal. It is unclear what the Bucks would ask for in a deal for Turner, but for an upper-echelon big man who has been elite on both sides of the floor for nearly a decade, we can reasonably infer that Milwaukee would want more than a couple of second rounders, even if the team is trying to unload Turner’s contract.
If L.A. had the assets to acquire Turner, the next point of consideration would be whether taking on his contract is doable. Tanner mentioned that the Lakers could trade Jarred Vanderbilt, Dalton Knecht and Jaden Hardy for Turner, but that is likely not enough to both make the legal and financially viable for the Lakers.
Although L.A. has some room to work with under the apron, there is still a relatively thin threshold.
There is no denying that Turner could, in theory, make the Lakers better and especially more formidable in the frontcourt, but L.A. would have to carefully consider the pros and cons of a trade.
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