The Los Angeles Lakers are coming off yet another disappointing loss to one of the worst teams in the NBA, as they couldn’t hold off LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday night.
The disturbing trend of poor defense continues for the Lakers, as the team gave up 135 points to a Hornets team that won only 14 games coming into this matchup against Luka Doncic and company. Los Angeles has now given up 120 points or more to an opponent 11 times during the 2025-26 NBA season, and that is clearly not a recipe for winning basketball, especially in an incredibly competitive Western Conference.
With the Lakers falling to 24-15 and sitting two games behind Anthony Edwards’ Minnesota Timberwolves for fourth place in the West, it has never been more evident during this 2025-26 campaign that the team needs to make some moves ahead of the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 5.
Lakers Digging Into the ‘Bargain’ Bin Ahead of Trade Deadline
There are fewer than three weeks to go before the buzzer sounds on the trade deadline, which means general manager Rob Pelinka is likely working the phones. According to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst, the Lakers have been shopping three players in particular in order to bring in a defensive-minded wing.
