With LeBron James running the show for the Lakers and with Anthony Davis continuing to be one of the best defensive big men in the entire NBA, Los Angeles has started the season as one of the best teams in the league… shocker! After winning a championship last year, the Lakers’ pursuit of winning back-to-back championships is in full effect as new Lakers Dennis Schroder and Montrezl Harrell have also stepped up and taken a lot of the pressure off of James and Davis. 

All season long, the Lakers are not going anywhere and will consistently be at the top of the standings in the entire league, but the questions with this team lie with their bench. Does this team have enough talent besides their two superstar players, LeBron James and Anthony Davis, to be able to take down some of the best All-Star duos and trios in the league once again?

This year, LeBron James is averaging the least amount of minutes per game of his entire career and Anthony Davis’ offensive-production is down, which means this year’s Lakers team will really have to step up. Key role players like Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Alex Caruso will have to be the guys to step up for this team when it matters most. 

They had no problem doing so last year, but this year’s championship pursuit will be a lot different. Some of the top teams in the league from a year ago have gotten even better this year, and while the Lakers have too, bench play is going to be vital come playoff time. 

As a result, L.A. could be in the market to make yet another deal in order to bring more talent to this roster. With that being said, here are three realistic key role players the Lakers could target in a trade before this season’s NBA trade deadline.