The Los Angeles Lakers could be ready to complete a huge trade with the Portland Trail Blazers to land two key pieces.

The Portland Trail Blazers are rebuilding. They are the exact kind of team that contenders are going to want to dial up as the trade deadline gets closer. Sitt

By landing an undervalued Toronto Raptors center in a massive three-team trade, the Los Angeles Lakers could successfully strengthen their frontcourt. “The Los Angeles Lakers still have issues after the late-December trade with the Brooklyn Nets for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton,” Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus wrote Tuesday.

Due to those notions though, the Lakers scouting department understandably had their eyes elsewhere. One name the Lakers reportedly coveted was Bub Carrington before he was selected at No. 14 by the Portland Trail Blazers then traded to the Washington Wizards, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN:

While he finished the game, Brooklyn ruled him out for Wednesday's Los Angeles Clippers matchup. With Cam Thomas, Ben Simmons and D'Angelo Russell also sidelined, the Nets' offense reached historic lows during a 126-67 defeat, the worst in franchise history.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Scoot Henderson had 25 points and the Portland Trail Blazers snapped a five-game losing streak with a 113-102 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Sunday night. Zach LaVine had 27 points for the Bulls. They have lost five straight.

Like the Los Angeles Lakers, the Golden State Warriors shouldn’t be satisfied with their current roster. In an unexpected move, the Warriors could ship an injured, rising star to the Portland Trail Blazers for two prized contributors.

The Clippers have their own home and are forging a new identity, but can Intuit Dome handle two teams showing up in their vehicles? It was a problem before.

The Brooklyn Nets head to crypto.com Arena to face the Los Angeles Lakers in a non-conference matchup. The Nets are 14-27, which puts them in 12th place in the Eastern Conference. The Lakers are 21-17, which puts them in sixth place in the Western Conference.

Lakers head coach J.J. Redick expects Anthony Davis to return to action after dealing with plantar fasciitis. Read more at straitstimes.com.

The Lakers are in the midst of a tense battle for a playoff spot in the Western Conference and LeBron James is feeling the pressure. He knows that his team has a small margin for error every time they step on the court.

These grades will take into account how each team's season has gone, yes, but also how those teams are doing relatively to both internal and external expectations. NBA midseason grades for every East team: Cavs earn 'A+,