NBA Trade Deadline Week: How Active Should the Lakers Be?

The Lakers, fresh off their comeback win over New York Saturday night at the crypt, managed to sneak in a practice Monday afternoon in El Segundo. LeBron James, who played 40 minutes in first game back in the lineup after sitting out with knee swelling, took it easy. But he says he thinks he's no worse for wear and hopes to play Tuesday night. Carmelo Anthony won't play Tuesday, but might be back as soon as Wednesday night vs. Portland, so at the least his hamstring injury isn't seen (currently at least) as that serious. So that's all good news. Or about as good as news gets these days for the Lakers, when it comes to player health. Meanwhile, LeBron was asked about his, um, "partnership" with General Manager Rob Pelinka, and whether or not he believes the team needs to make a move before the deadline. No surprise, he punted on the question - yes, you always try to get better, but he also always expects to ride with the dudes he has - but it raises an interesting one: How aggressively should the Lakers move this week to try and save this season? Can it be saved with a realistic deal for good-but-not-great players? Does it matter that the Clippers have picked up Robert Covington and Norman Powell, strengthening a roster that hopes to get Paul George back? Finally, what does it mean that Russell Westbrook has now been benched twice, when it comes to the way Frank Vogel uses him down the stretch? Should more time on the pine be expected, if Westbrook isn't performing up to snuff from night to night? His teammates say they're supporting him, trying to keep his confidence up. Can Russ function as a more timid version of himself? And Trevor Ariza... is suddenly good again! And it matters! HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky SEGMENT 1: LeBron says he feels good, or at least good enough, following Saturday's win. Carmelo Anthony is still on the shelf, but should be back soon. SEGMENT 2: How aggressive should Pelinka be at the deadline? Can the Lakers be saved by a trade? How good a player/players do they need to get in return? SEGMENT 3: There's now a precedent for Frank Vogel to pull Westbrook in key moments. Will he keep doing it going forward? And Trevor Ariza is finally looking like the important piece Vogel promised all year. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15” and you’ll get 15% off your next order. PrizePicks Don’t hesitate, check out PrizePicks.com and use promo code: “NBA” or go to your app store and download the app today. PrizePicks is daily fantasy made easy! Shopify Go to shopify.com/lockedonnba for a FREE fourteen-day trial and get full access to Shopify’s entire suite of features. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices