On January 23, Beijing time, the American media "LakeshowLife" selected 11 veterans worthy of the Lakers' attention before the trade deadline, of which Schroder ranked 3rd, Kuzma and Caruso ranked the top 2.
No. 11: Hortontucker
The Lakers once considered Horton Tucker to be for sale, and in order to keep him and let Caruso go, the Lakers were revealed to be trying to add an athletic guard, and Tucker apparently met the requirements.
This season, he is averaging 11 points, 4.2 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game.
The reason why they are at the bottom of the list is mainly because the Lakers need to open up space, which is precisely Tucker's shortcoming.
No. 10: Payton Jr
Payton Jr. is the defensive guard the Lakers need, with some three-point shooting ability and a very friendly contract.
The shortcomings are that Payton Jr. has a serious injury problem, playing only 16 games this season, and his production and influence on both ends of the offensive and defensive ends are limited, resulting in a low ranking.
9th place: Reggie Bullock
Bullock briefly played for the Lakers in 2019 and was waived due to poor projection.
He played for the Rockets this season, but the role was very effective, but he shot 38.5 percent from three-point range, and if he was bought out by the Rockets, the Lakers could try to find the old 3-D wing.
8th place: McGee
As a member of the Lakers' championship in 2020, McGee shared the pressure of the thick eyebrows during the championship.
McGee has moved to several teams since leaving the Lakers, and his role with the Kings has been very limited this season, so if the Lakers are completely disillusioned with Hayes, then they can try to find McGee on a bargain price.
7th place: Lonnie Walker
Walker was a key figure for the Lakers to reach the Western Conference finals last season, and in the offseason, Walker chose to join the Nets because of role positioning problems.
His performance with the Nets has reached the next level, averaging 19.4 minutes per game, contributing 12.8 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists, with a three-point shooting rate of 45.5%, and will be a good candidate for the Lakers to strengthen the wing.
6th place: Drummond
The Lakers need to add a solid bench to the thick eyebrows, Drummond has played a good role with the Bulls this season, playing a blue-collar interior role, and considering the Bulls are selling the whole team, the Lakers can welcome back Drummond and make him a replacement for Hayes.
5th place: Llarinance Jr
Nance Jr. is a versatile interior player who can compete with Wood for rotation time, and his defense is much more reliable than Wood's.
The Pelicans want to upgrade their roster and don't want to pay the luxury tax, so sending away Nance Jr., who is on a multimillion-dollar contract, could kill two birds with one stone.
No. 4: Clarkson
The Lakers need a guard with scoring and athleticism, and Clarkson fits that bill perfectly, with the ability to average 20+ points per game and a consistent outside shooting.
3rd place: Schroeder
Last season, Schroder proved himself with the Lakers and regained a big contract with the Raptors in the offseason.
The Raptors recently sent Sika away, and the team is rebuilding around young players, and the Lakers can try to bring back the veteran Schroder, who can quickly integrate into the team and provide the tandem, defense and shooting that the team needs.
2nd place: Kuzma
Kuzma, who was also part of the 2020 Lakers championship, was sent away in the process of trading Westbrook, and then made great strides with the Wizards.
He's averaging 21.8 points, 4.3 assists and 6.4 rebounds per game this season, and if the Lakers can't get a better option, Kuzma could be a good alternative.
1st place: Caruso
Caruso was also a member of the 2020 championship, providing the three-point and defense that the Lakers needed, but unfortunately the Lakers chose to keep Tucker and send Caruso away, and he has since grown into one of the best defenders on the roster.
Whether it is in terms of adaptability or player ability, Caruso is one of the most suitable defenders for Zhan Mei, and he deserves to be at the top of the list.