Lakers in Active Trade Talks for $75M Forward Before Deadline

As the February 5 NBA trade deadline approaches, it’s become increasingly clear that the Los Angeles Lakers are in need of reinforcements. Injuries have defined much of their season, repeatedly disrupting rotations and continuity. Even as players have cycled back into the line-up, however, the broader sense is that the current roster construction is trending in the wrong direction. Los Angeles has lost nine of its past 15 games and managed just two wins over a recent seven-game stretch. That slide has dropped the Lakers to 25-16 and sixth in the Western Conference, with the play-in picture beginning to creep into view. Against that backdrop, general manager Rob Pelinka is widely believed to be active ahead of the deadline. As that search continues, another name has now emerged as a potential target. Lakers Linked to Miles Bridges as Deadline Nears According to Forbes’ Evan Sidery, the Lakers are weighing whether to pursue Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges, who’s drawing interest from multiple teams and may be available. “The Bucks, Clippers, Kings, and Lakers have recently shown exploratory trade interest in Miles Bridges,” Sidery reported. “The Hornets appear open to moving Bridges for the right price.” Bridges, 27, is averaging 19.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists across 42 games this season for the Hornets. He’s shooting 44.6% from the field and 33.7% from three-point range on 6.8 attempts per game. For a Lakers team that ranks last in the NBA in bench scoring at 25.7 points per game, the appeal is clear. Offensive production has been heavily concentrated around Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves when healthy. Adding Bridges could help redistribute that burden by reshaping the rotation, while also addressing a clear need on the wing. Described as a “competent perimeter defender,” Bridges would also offer positional depth at a premium spot, and his contract structure only adds to the intrigue. Lakers Evaluating Contract and Asset Pathways Bridges is in the second year of a three-year, $75 million deal, earning $25 million this season. That figure places him squarely in the range of contracts the Lakers could theoretically match. Any deal would require Los Angeles to work primarily through its expiring salaries. Rui Hachimura ($18.2 million), Gabe Vincent ($11.5 million), and Maxi Kleber ($11 million) represent the Lakers’ main trade pieces, though those contracts have reportedly generated limited interest. Second-year guard Dalton Knecht has similarly failed to build meaningful trade value, as per Dan Woike of The Athletic. What separates Bridges from other targets is the structure of his deal. It’s front-loaded and declines in value, with his salary dropping to $22.8 million through the 2026-27 season. For an acquiring team, that provides both a productive contributor and future salary flexibility. Whether the Hornets would demand draft compensation remains an open question. That’s where complications arise for the Lakers, who currently control only one tradable first-round pick. Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo! Sports recently reported that Los Angeles has explored ways to rework its draft capital to pursue a wing. “With the Lakers, the word on the street is they’re trying to package Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent together for a wing,” O’Connor said. “Now, the really interesting thing with them is, they’ve been shopping around their future 2032 first-round pick for multiple first-round draft picks.” The Lakers have previously been linked to Herb Jones, though his availability remains uncertain. Other names have included Trey Murphy III, Keon Ellis, and De’Andre Hunter. If Los Angeles is able to convert its future pick into multiple selections, it could unlock additional flexibility and significantly expand its asset pool ahead of the deadline. That approach may be the key to landing a higher-caliber wing and stabilising a roster that, for now, is on a sharp downwards trajectory.