The Los Angles Lakers have gotten off to an excellent start to the 2025-26 NBA season. Through 23 games of action, they’re second in the Western Conference standings with a 17-6 record. That standing comes despite the fact that superstar forward LeBron James missed the first 14 games of the season due to sciatica.
James is about to turn 41 years old, so the window for the Lakers to maximize his remaining greatness is now. As such, many expect the Lakers to look to improve the roster via trade between now and the deadline in February.
Gabe Vincent listed as player most likely be to traded by Lakers
Speaking of potential trades, Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report recently listed the one player on every team most likely to be traded, and for the Lakers the selection was veteran guard Gabe Vincent, who signed with the Lakers as a free agent in 2023.
“Rui Hachimura's shooting is too valuable, and Jarred Vanderbilt's contract runs into 2027-28. That leaves Gabe Vincent as the most logical mid-tier salary the Los Angeles Lakers might consider trading,” Hughes wrote. “… At just $11 million this season, Vincent isn't going to bring back a major upgrade. But he could be part of a package that returns a rotation-worthy defender with more size and versatility.”
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Injuries have hampered Vincent throughout his tenure with the Lakers, and while he remains valuable as a floor-spacer around James and Luka Doncic, the team wouldn’t have too much difficulty replacing his production in the rotation.
Plus, Vincent is set to be an unrestricted free agent over the offseason, and he doesn’t necessarily feel like a player that the Lakers will prioritize retaining. So, it makes sense for them to get something in return for him while they can.
Does that mean a trade involving Vincent will actually come to fruition? We’ll have to wait and see, but outside of him the Lakers don’t really have many tradeable assets, unless they were to consider trading Austin Reaves, which they’ve made clear they don’t plan to do.
The NBA trade deadline is set for Feb. 5.