It is still too early to determine who won the trade race that took place before the February Deadline. However, it is safe to say that the Los Angeles Lakers are certainly amongst the top contenders. From getting the Dallas Mavericks to give up their star player to sacrificing their own star rookie for a Charlotte Hornets center, the LA franchise went bold. Along with strengthening their starting lineup, Jeanie Buss and the team management also made some noticeable savings on the salary front. Savings that can now push them to strengthen their core with another, or 2 more star players.

In the aftermath of the Lakers acquiring Mark Williams, NBA reporters Trevor Lane and Keith Smith discussed the trade in a 3-hour-long episode. Lane highlighted that though he may not be accurate in his calculations, he has determined how much the LA franchise has saved from their recent move. Acquiring Mark Williams came at the cost of sending Dalton Knecht and Cam Reddish to the Charlotte Hornets. Therefore, the host could confidently state that the trade resulted in “$6 million in salary going out. This also opens up a roster spot. This could lead to the Lakers adding another player as well because I believe this should save money, as well as open up a roster spot for LA. Unless there is more to this deal that’s still to come out.”

Agreeing with the host’s assessment, Keith Smith further added “Yeah, let’s see. Knecht 3.8 (million). Reddish is 2.5 (million). So, call it 6.3 (million) going out, and then coming back in is about 4.1 (million). About 2.2 million saved, which is, you know, a full-on vet minimum there.”

Dalton Knecht was playing with the Lakers under a 4-year, $18.48 million contract. He was set to make $3.819 million during the ongoing season. Meanwhile, Cam Reddish was playing under a 2-year, $4.629 million contract, and was set to make $2.46 million during the ongoing season. Compare their salary to the $4.094 million Williams was earning this season, and it’s obvious that the Lakers have saved a few bucks through their recent trade decision.

With Mark Williams and Luka Doncic’s acquisitions, the Lakers have already taken some bold initiatives. What’s stopping them not taking a few more? It’s a good thing that, even before asking, two options may have already been placed forward as potential trade acquisitions.

NBA reporter Marc J. Spears took to X after the recent trades and wrote “The Jazz are not expected to keep Dennis Schröder”. The German player was sent to the Utah Jazz a few hours ago through the same multi-team trade deal that sent Jimmy Butler to the Bay Area. Schroder’s 2-year, $25.43 million contract will conclude by the end of the ongoing season. After that, he will become an unrestricted free agent. While the Lakers were not able to free up enough money to afford Schroder’s annual pay, cutting ties with another player would make them flexible enough to acquire him.

The 2 player who may be on the Lakers’ radar is Lonnie Walker IV. Lakers Lead proposed his acquisition by writing “LAKERS ARE WING DEPRIVED NOW, TIME TO BRING BACK THE SKYWALKER” on X. Having played with the LA franchise during the 2022-23 season, Walker IV had averaged 11.7 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 56 games. His performance and availability were limited after the player sustained knee tendinitis. The last contract that the player held was a 1-year, $2.613 million Exhibit-10 deal. Therefore, the Lakers can acquire him through the salary cap amount they freed.

The LA franchise may be more than inclined to indulge in bringing back either Dennis Schroder or Lonnie Walker IV. Especially after the recent update regarding Christian Wood.

NBA reporters reveal a negative update on Christian Wood’s injury recovery: “A guy you couldn’t count on”

Christian Wood had undergone arthroscopic knee surgery back in February 2024. The same prevented him from making the season debut alongside the rest of the Lakers squad. The team crossed the halfway point of the regular season, and he is yet to make his season debut. JJ Redick revealed back in late December that Wood had been cleared to participate in individual work. Two weeks later, Redick told Daniel Starkand of LakersNation.com that he had no updates on the status of Wood. A further 2-3 weeks later, and no positive update on the player.

“Christian was in the facility today, just kind of lurking around. Didn’t see him do much. I’m sure he’s doing something, but we haven’t gotten any sort of updates at this point. So, we have no clue if he suffered a setback, or if he’s just progressing slower than expected,” said Daniel Starkand. “Like, who knows? So, I don’t think Christian Wood is a guy you can count on”.

Christian Wood’s continuing issues may convince the Lakers to trade him for another guard. Cutting ties with Wood’s 2-year, $5.7458 million contract would certainly open some doors for the team. Therefore, with all the options lying in front of the Lakers, all that fans can do now is wait and see whether they will go through with any of them.