Lakers Fans Are Relieved After Narrow Win Over The Hornets: 'Don't Trade D'Angelo Russell Now'

Fans do not want to see D'Angelo Russell get traded now after his excellent form over the last month.

Fans were loving the show LeBron put up with some thunderous dunks.

Fans commended both Anthony Davis and Austin Reaves for their incredible playmaking efforts on the night.

Fans praised the incredible partnership of Brandon Miller and Miles Bridges in this game.

Brandon Miller went off in the fourth quarter, scoring 16 points and almost leading the Hornets to a season-defining comeback win.

Fans are cautious about the future of the team, as this was the last game the Lakers played before the trade deadline shuts. 

The Lakers saw Anthony Davis notch his third career triple-double with 24 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists. The highest scorer for them on the night was D'Angelo Russell with 28 points. LeBron James had an efficient 26 points if you ignore him going 0-5 on three-point shot attempts. 

A two-headed monster led the Hornets. Miles Bridges had a 41-point night while Brandon Miller scored 33 points. Charlotte was without LaMelo Ball but was still competitive with strong performances from the bench like P.J. Washington's 15 points and eight rebounds.

A Massive Trade Deadline For The Lakers

February 8, 2024, marks the NBA trade deadline, as teams will be unable to make any major changes to their roster after this Thursday. Since the start of the season, the Lakers have been expected to make major moves before the deadline and revamp their roster after an underwhelming start to the season. Rumors linking them to Zach LaVine have petered out and the likelihood of a Dejounte Murray trade looks slim.

The Lakers don't want to acquire a 'third-star' unless they know the player will be a high-contributor who could be in the running for All-Star games and All-NBA selections. That player is just not available for the Lakers this trade window, and it's likely they keep D'Angelo Russell and make marginal moves to improve the roster around the edges. 

The primary trade target for the Lakers should be the Nets' Dorian Finney-Smith right now. DFS is one of the most reliable frontcourt players in the NBA, providing hard defense while also stretching the floor. An even cheaper option than DFS could be his teammate, Royce O'Neale, providing the qualities of a 3-and-D forward. 

The team could even explore trades to get a genuine backup center behind Anthony Davis, but that wouldn't be a necessity. The Lakers have options and could reinforce any part of their lineup and it'd be a good move.