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ESPN Senior Writer- Co-author, Pro Basketball Prospectus series
- Formerly a consultant with the Indiana Pacers
- Developed WARP rating and SCHOENE system
Will the Los Angeles Lakers bolster their title chances with a deal before the 2020 NBA trade deadline?
With a four-game cushion atop the Western Conference at 29-7, the Lakers have the best odds among championship contenders at Caesars Sportsbook (plus-250). Yet a pair of losses to their fellow Staples Center tenants, the LA Clippers, have exposed shortcomings in the Lakers' closing five-man lineups.
The Lakers will surely look to upgrade their roster, whether it's via trade -- with little to offer in the way of draft picks after last summer's deal for Anthony Davis -- or with a midseason free agent.
ESPN experts Bobby Marks and Kevin Pelton assess the Lakers' trade options.