The Los Angeles Lakers still have some work to do with their roster, particularly when it comes to finding another starting-caliber wing and someone to backup the newly-acquired Walker Kessler
With the free agency market usually dry at this stage of this of the offseason, the Lakers’ best bet may be to pivot to a trade. There are some interesting players who might be available.
Brook Lopez, a 7-foot-1 center who has turned himself into one of the NBA’s most reliable 3-point shooting big men late in his career, and Saddiq Bey, an nearly 18-point-per-game scorer last season, are two names worth looking at.
Here’s a three-team framework that could bring both to L.A.
Lakers receive: Brook Lopez and Saddiq Bey
Clippers receive: Dalton Knecht
Pelicans receive: Jaden Hardy and Jake LaRavia
This trade is hypothetical and intended to explore one way the Lakers could address their need for another center while adding a wing who has already shown he can produce while playing starter’s level minutes.
Why the Trade Makes Sense for the Lakers
GettyMILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – APRIL 23: Brook Lopez #11 of the Milwaukee Bucks reacts to a three point shot during the first half of game two of the Eastern Conference First Round Playoffs against the Indiana Pacers at Fiserv Forum on April 23, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
The Lakers would give up Knecht, Hardy and LaRavia, but they would come away with two players who would help fill their two biggest roster holes.
Lopez is 38 and past his prime, but it was just back in the 2022-23 season that the former Laker finished near the top of the Defensive Player of the Year voting. The veteran big man is also an efficient long-range shooter.
In his final season with the Milwaukee Bucks, Lopez averaged 13.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting 37.3 percent from beyond the arc on 6.4 attempts per game. That production waned considerably last season, his first with the Clippers, but Lopez only played 21.8 minutes per game.
Lopez has made at least 175 threes in two of the last three seasons, and he has now made more than 2,000 3-pointers during his career.
Looking at his output on the other side of the ball, Lopez has led the NBA in blocks before and has averaged 1.9 blocks per game in three of the last four seasons.
If the Clippers are willing to do business with their cross-town rivals, Lopez might be an affordable option for the Lakers.
Bey Could Give L.A. Another Scorer
The 27-year-old wing bounced back in the 2025-26 season after missing the previous year with a torn ACL.
Bey averaged 17.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game for the Pelicans last season, albeit for a 26-win team. He also shot 36.7 percent from the 3-point line on 5.7 attempts per game.
The Lakers would likely prefer someone who can play lockdown defense on the wing — their interest in Kuminga is partly because of that — so Bey may not be an attractive option, especially considering the Lakers have two elite scoring options already. But Bey is on an expiring $6.5 million deal. He is a potentially low-risk/high-reward option.
Together, Lopez, with his 3-point shooting and rim protection, and Bey, with his scoring, would be considerable additions to the Lakers, who have revamped their depth this offseason.
Projected NBA Trade Gives Lakers 7’1″ Elite Shooter and 18 PPG Forward