The Los Angeles Lakers flamed out in the 2025 NBA playoffs, losing in five games to the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Lakers had as high expectations as any team in the league due to their new superstar duo of Luka Doncic and LeBron James, but in their playoff debut, they could not get the job done.
Now, heading into their first offseason with Luka Doncic as their franchise player, the Lakers have some big decisions to make. Everyone knows the Lakers are still a few pieces away from being a legitimate championship contender, but if they still want to capitalize on LeBron James before he retires, the clock is ticking.
An interesting trade idea between the Lakers and Sacramento Kings could give Los Angeles some more veteran talent and much-needed frontcourt depth, without sacrificing their uber-valuable assets.
Los Angeles Lakers receive: DeMar DeRozan, Jonas Valanciunas
Sacramento Kings receive: Rui Hachimura, Dalton Knecht, Gabe Vincent
A recent report revealed that the Kings are expected to explore trade options for DeMar DeRozan, a Los Angeles native, and the Lakers would certainly be toward the top of his preferred destinations.
DeRozan, a six-time NBA All-Star, averaged 22.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game this season, as the 35-year-old forward proved he still has some gas left in the tank. At this stage of his career, DeRozan could be most effective as a veteran off the bench, although he is owed around $50.5 million over the next two seasons.
🎯 DEMAR DEROZAN, BUCKET-GETTER 🎯
After averaging 22.2 PPG this season…
DeMar is now one of 6 players in NBA HISTORY to average 20+ PPG in 12+ straight years (min. 60 GP per season).
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (17)
LeBron James (15)
Karl Malone (12)
Kobe Bryant (12)
Dirk Nowitzki… pic.twitter.com/2GBuKliZ0Y— NBA (@NBA) April 16, 2025
After trading away Anthony Davis, the Lakers severely lacked an interior presence, and it ultimately cost them their season. While Jonas Valanciunas may not be a superstar big, the 33-year-old Lithuanian force showed this season that he can be very effective.
While the Lakers may be giving up too much in this deal with a package centered around 27-year-old Rui Hachimura and 24-year-old Dalton Knecht, this would be the ideal return for Sacramento.
The Kings are heading in a tricky direction, and getting younger this offseason is the best thing they could do. It is very likely the Lakers would choose to give up a guy like Dorian Finney-Smith or Jarred Vanderbilt instead of Hachimura in a deal like this, but Sacramento’s preference would be obvious.
Of course, any trade between division rivals can be tricky, but since they are in such different spots, they could certainly come to some sort of agreement to get DeRozan back home.
