The Los Angeles Lakers’ main roster weakness remains a legitimate two-way starting wing or forward. Luka Doncic could start at one forward position, at least in terms of defensive matchups, and it is possible that Quentin Grimes gets one starting guard spot alongside Austin Reaves.
But as of now, Sandro Mamukelashvili is, in the minds of many, the Lakers’ default starter at the other forward position. While he has become a solid contributor over the last couple of years, he seems ill-suited to start and play at least about 25 minutes a game (he averaged 21.9 minutes a game last season), and his defense is somewhat suspect.
There has been lots of talk and reporting about the Lakers’ pursuit of Jonathan Kuminga to fill that other starting forward spot. There has also been some talk about the team potentially going after P.J. Washington, but NBA insider Jake Fischer said he hasn’t heard that it is going after the Dallas Mavericks power forward.
There is now some chatter that if Los Angeles wants to fill that roster hole by the end of this summer, perhaps it should shift its focus to De’Andre Hunter.
Hunter has been mentioned in the media as a possible option
Hunter wouldn’t necessarily be the perfect man to fill that starting forward position for L.A. His shooting percentages went way down last season to 41.5% overall and 30.5% from 3-point range, and he appeared in just 45 games. But he is 6-foot-7, weighs about 220 pounds and has a 7-foot-2 wingspan, and while he may not be a consistently great defender, he has the tools to be good enough on that end of the floor, as he’s considered an above-average athlete.
The Lakers reportedly had trade talks with the Cleveland Cavaliers about acquiring Hunter several months ago at midseason before he was sent to the Sacramento Kings. Khobi Price of the California Post recently mentioned him as a possible alternative to Kuminga, as did Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report.
Pincus also put together a possible package the Lakers could send to Sacramento in return for Hunter and why Sacramento could say yes.
“Sacramento was among the worst teams in the NBA last season. The Hunter acquisition places the team almost $4 million above the luxury tax this year, assuming the Kings reach the required 14 standard players with another minimum signing.
“Hunter is extension eligible, but as Sacramento retools, the franchise needs to wait and see before making any further hefty commitments. The Lakers can help get the team immediately under the luxury tax with a combination of [Jarred] Vanderbilt, [Dalton] Knecht, and [Jaden] Hardy (or [Jake] LaRavia).
“The Kings would need to view Knecht as a player who can fit with their young core. Sacramento doesn’t have as much financial pressure next season once Zach LaVine’s $49 million comes off its books. The Kings could look to get a third team like the Brooklyn Nets to take Hardy, but a LaVine buyout near $4 million, along with a Lakers deal, would get the franchise out of the tax entirely.”
Pincus also pointed out that the fact that Vanderbilt has two years left on his contract, including a player option for the final year, could result in the Kings asking for draft capital from Los Angeles. L.A. has three second-round draft picks and one first-round pick swap to offer in any potential trade — would it be worth it for the team to part with most or all of that in order to land Hunter?
Ever since Hunter was the No. 4 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, he has historically been a solid 3-point shooter and a viable scoring threat. He has a career average of 14.7 points a game on 44.7% field-goal shooting and 36.4% from 3-point range, and as recently as the 2024-25 campaign, he made 40.5% of his 3-point attempts.
He will make $24.9 million this coming season, so one also has to wonder how much he will demand on his next contract, and whether the Lakers would be willing to cave into those demands.
But all of this could be moot, as there is no indication that the Lakers have any interest in Hunter as of now.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Should the Lakers trade for De’Andre Hunter?
Reporting by Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire / LeBron Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire | USA TODAY Network
