LOS ANGELES — Identifying high-value Los Angeles Lakers trade targets has taken center stage in Los Angeles after high-flying forward Jonathan Kuminga officially decided to join the Minnesota Timberwolves. Shams Charania of ESPN broke the story first.
Missing out on Jonathan Kuminga to the Timberwolves on a two-year, $13M deal stings on the surface, but frustrated Lakers fans need to take a deep breath and zoom out. Even if Rob Pelinka doesn’t make any another splashy move, this overall offseason remains an unmitigated success for the front office.
More importantly, the NBA trade market is a living, breathing ecosystem. Teams that look like contenders on paper will inevitably implode by December, opening up entirely new seller markets. In the meantime, whiffing on Kuminga preserves cap flexibility, keeping the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception (NTMLE) fully intact for next summer. Instead of panic-buying an awkward fit out of sheer desperation, Los Angeles can turn to far smarter, high-upside Lakers trade options to round out the rotation.
Karlo Matković: The Athletic Rim-Protector
If Los Angeles wants an under-the-radar frontcourt target with absurd surplus value, Karlo Matković is practically a cheat code in analytical models. Operating on a tiny $2.0M salary, Matković boasts a projected DARKO model value of $7.4M—yielding a +$5.5M surplus value and a eye-popping 279% ROI. He is a stealth elite rim-protector, holding opponents to defensive shooting metrics in the 86th and 93rd percentiles over his first two seasons. Offensively, he ranked in the 93rd percentile in effective field goal percentage in the 2024-25 season, generating a +10 expected win differential. He is cheap, disruptive, and costs virtually nothing to acquire via trade.
Saddiq Bey: High-Surplus Wing
Finding reliable Lakers trade options on the wing means prioritizing efficient off-ball threats who can actually hold their own when isolated on defense. Saddiq Bey fits that exact blueprint. Currently signed to a modest $6.1M contract with New Orleans, Bey’s calculated DARKO model value sits at $22.1M—a staggering +$16.0M surplus value (+262% ROI). He operates as a top-tier off-ball weapon, placing in the 89th percentile for points per possession and the 76th percentile in effective field goal percentage. Bey essentially gives you starter-level wing production at a bench-player price tag.
Jalen Smith: The Quiet Explosion
Another intriguing name among potential Lakers trade targets is Chicago forward Jalen Smith, who essentially broke efficiency metrics last season. Playing on a $9.0M contract, Smith’s projected model value reaches $18.3M (+$9.3M surplus value, +103% ROI). Smith erupted into the 97th percentile in offensive efficiency per possession (+8.8) and the 96th percentile in effective field goal percentage (+3.8%), driving a dominant +13.1 team differential. Combine that with his 90th percentile defensive rebounding, and he is the exact physical, athletic stretch-big L.A. needs to take pressure off the backline.
P.J. Washington: The Most Established Option
If Los Angeles prefers a proven starting-caliber forward, executing a P.J. Washington Lakers trade via a three-team framework remains the ultimate pivot. Reports linking L.A. to secondary options do not change the underlying reality: Washington remains the ideal complement to Luka Dončić. His size, switchability, and floor spacing elevate dramatically when Luka bends defenses. That chemistry is already battle-tested; the other options require projection.
Los Angeles holds the draft capital and salary to pull it off right now: one pick swap, three second-round picks, plus a matching combination of Jarred Vanderbilt, Jaden Hardy, Dalton Knecht, or Jake LaRavia. In modern league valuations, three second-rounders function as the equivalent of a first-round pick. Four seconds were enough for the Timberwolves front office to land Ayo Dosunmu at the last deadline, so three should easily clear the bar here.
The real stumbling block isn’t assets—it’s front-office optics. Mavericks’ Masai Ujiri is not in the business of handing out discount favors, and he will undoubtedly try to force Los Angeles into an overpay threshold to protect his reputation. Whether both sides can find a sensible middle ground on that overpay price tag will dictate if this blockbuster trade idea becomes reality before camp opens.
Find me on X: @f_rederic_k
