NBA Trade Rumors: LeBron James-led LA Lakers unlikely to pursue lucrative targets like Walker Kessler and $20,000,000 center 

The latest NBA trade rumors suggest the LeBron James-led LA Lakers might not go after lucrative targets like Utah's Walker Kessler or the Chicago Bulls' $20,000,000 center Nikola Vucevic. The Lakers were reportedly open to moving their three tradeable first-round picks but might settle by only involving second-round draft compensation instead.

That rules them out of contention for candidates like Kessler and Vucevic, who could likely demand packages with at least one first-round pick. They are both highly coveted and efficient and would help shore up frontcourt depth for several contenders.

However, Lakers insider Jovan Buha reported that LA will only make small moves. Here's what he said on his podcast after the Lakers' 102-101 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday.

"My sense lately, that I've been hearing, has been trending more toward them making a smaller move and probably using second-round draft capital and the issue there is that their second-round draft capital isn't really worth that much because it's their pick and the Clippers' pick ...

"Both of those picks are projected right now to be between like 45 and 52 depending on where those two teams finish in the standings so those aren't the sexiest second round picks. You typically want a first half of the second round-type pick."

The LA Lakers are 22-17, sixth in the Western Conference. They are seemingly still one of the most underrated teams because their season hasn't been pretty. They have ground-out wins, and that's one perspective of looking at things from a front-office point of view.

Rob Pelinka and Co. either trust the current core to get the job done, or they don't have enough faith in them to go the distance at the expense of future assets.

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NBA Trade Rumors: LA Lakers need to shore up their wing and center spot

The LA Lakers potentially preserving their first-round picks doesn't seem like good news for the team's trade deadline aspirations. There are glaring holes on the roster that must be filled, especially at the wing and center spots. The Lakers made the right push in December by acquiring Dorian Finney-Smith. However, he only addresses their issues at the small forward position.

Finney-Smith doesn't compensate for their lack of point-of-attack defensive presence. 22-year-old third-year guard Max Christie is carrying out that role while Cam Reddish is the alternative. Reddish has been in and out of the rotation, which is not desirable for coach JJ Redick if he needs someone else to replace Christie for certain matchups.

Meanwhile, the LA Lakers' center rotation is significantly weak outside of Anthony Davis. Jaxson Hayes hasn't delivered, while Christian Koloko and Trey Jemison are two-way players. All three backup bigs have limitations, making them unplayable at times.