Lakers Reportedly Not Interested in Trading for 1-Time NBA Champion

Apr 19, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka walks on the couet prior to the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

With two weeks left before the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 5, rumors are swirling about the intentions of teams around the league, with the Los Angeles Lakers being mentioned more often than not as a franchise that could make some moves to shake up its roster.

One rumor that recently surfaced was the Lakers being interested in trading for a couple of stars from the Brooklyn Nets.

Lakers' Trade Rumor Involving Nets Stars Gets Debunked

Michael Porter Jr. and Nic Claxton were the two players mentioned as potential targets for Los Angeles, but that might not be the case, as the rumor was debunked on Thursday by Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.

“The talk of the Los Angeles Lakers possibly throwing their hat in the mix for Porter isn’t a realistic possibility and something they do not have a desire to do, sources said,” according to Siegel.

“The Lakers have signaled that they do not want to take on big money at this time, regardless of how many years a player has left on their contract.”

Even though Porter could end up being moved with the Nets potentially trying to sell high on the talented scorer, who is having the best season of his career since being traded by the Denver Nuggets over the summer, the Lakers' acquiring him never really made sense, considering the team's intention to improve defensively.

Claxton made more sense as a target for Los Angeles ahead of the trade deadline, as he would help improve the team defensively in the paint while also being a player who can make an impact offensively.

With the clock ticking toward the deadline, the Lakers are bound to continue to get mentioned in trade rumors, as a lot can happen over the course of two weeks with plenty of teams gearing up to wheel and deal to bolster their rosters heading into the second half of the 2025-26 NBA season.