The Los Angeles Lakers are facing a new year filled with both challenges and opportunities, as injuries continue to pile up and trade rumors swirl around their roster. The start of 2026 has not been kind to the Lakers, who are set to take on the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night with a roster stretched thin by a string of injuries to key players and a potential shakeup looming ahead of the NBA trade deadline.
On January 1, the Lakers announced yet another setback: Jarred Vanderbilt, one of their most reliable 3-and-D wings, has been diagnosed with right leg soreness and is now questionable for the upcoming game against Memphis. Vanderbilt had been averaging nearly 25 minutes per game in December, stepping up significantly in the absence of Rui Hachimura. With Hachimura sidelined by right calf soreness and not due for re-evaluation until early next week, Vanderbilt was expected to see even more time on the court, particularly as the Lakers have struggled to contain opponents on the perimeter.
The injury list doesn’t end there. Austin Reaves, the Lakers’ All-Star shooting guard, is out for at least a month with a grade 2 left calf strain. Adou Thiero is also sidelined for at least a month due to a right MCL strain. Gabe Vincent, the Lakers’ backup point guard, has been out since December 14 with a back strain and has no set timetable for return. This string of injuries has left head coach JJ Redick and his staff scrambling to find workable lineups, as the team has already used 17 different starting lineups in just 31 games this season.
LeBron James, who himself missed the first 14 games of the 2025-26 season, spoke candidly after the team’s recent 128-106 loss to the Detroit Pistons. "We haven’t had a full team all year," James said, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. "We got some very important guys out right now. And obviously I started the year being out [for the first 14 games]. And having our All-Star, 2-guard [Austin Reaves] out, and Rui [Hachimura] is now out. Gabe [Vincent has] been out for a minute. Jaxson [Hayes] just came back. There’s been a lot of in and out. So that’s very hard to get a rhythm of chemistry on the floor with guys that you know you’re going to play with every night. … But still no excuse. We still got to go out and execute."
The Lakers’ December record of 5-7 highlighted just how much the injuries have impacted their performance. And January isn’t shaping up to be any easier. The team faces a daunting road schedule, with 10 of their 16 games this month taking place away from home. The stretch includes challenging matchups against the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, LA Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, and Cleveland Cavaliers. Coach Redick acknowledged the difficulties, noting, "The flow of lineups and rotations and all that has been challenging for everybody, not just the coaches. It’s just a challenge for the players, and building an identity is difficult. If you think about our team last year, this team is different, and our identity will eventually be different, but we didn’t get that identity till late January, it felt like. And then we had to shift again. So, I don’t think it’s unnatural."
With five rotational players expected to miss Friday’s game, the Lakers’ starting lineup against the Grizzlies is set to feature Luka Doncic, Marcus Smart, Jake LaRavia, LeBron James, and Deandre Ayton. Off the bench, fans can expect to see Nick Smith Jr., Bronny James, Dalton Knecht, Maxi Kleber, and Jaxson Hayes. It’s a lineup that, on paper, looks thin—especially for a team with championship aspirations. The pressure is mounting on the Lakers’ front office to make strategic moves before the February 5 trade deadline to shore up their depth and keep their postseason hopes alive.
Meanwhile, the Sacramento Kings have entered the trade rumor mill with a keen interest in Lakers small forward Jake LaRavia. LaRavia’s journey through the league has been eventful: drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2022, traded to the Memphis Grizzlies, then moved to the Kings in a three-team deal before last season’s deadline. However, the Kings declined his fourth-year option, which meant they had limited financial flexibility to retain him. The Lakers swooped in and acquired LaRavia, who has since made a positive impression playing alongside Luka Doncic and LeBron James.
Now, the Kings are reportedly eager to bring LaRavia back to Sacramento, believing that increased playing time could further his development. His reputation as a strong defender and three-point shooter makes him a valuable target for a team looking to bolster its wing depth.
Trade talks between the Lakers and Kings don’t stop at LaRavia. Sacramento is also considering parting ways with Domantas Sabonis, whose sizeable contract no longer fits with the team’s evolving strategy. Sabonis, known for his scoring, rebounding, and offensive prowess, is exactly the type of center the Lakers could use, especially given their current roster woes.
A proposed trade scenario has emerged: the Kings would receive Jake LaRavia, Jaxson Hayes—a promising young center—and Rui Hachimura, a versatile power forward. In exchange, the Lakers would land Sabonis, adding much-needed strength and versatility to their frontcourt. For the Kings, this deal would inject youth and depth into their rotation, while the Lakers would secure an established big man to help anchor their defense and provide a reliable scoring option inside.
While nothing is set in stone and trade negotiations are always fluid, the prospect of such a deal has certainly captured the attention of both fan bases. The Lakers, already under pressure due to injuries and inconsistency, could view this as a golden opportunity to reset their season and make a strong push toward the playoffs. The Kings, on the other hand, are looking to reshape their roster to better fit their long-term vision and maximize the development of their young talent.
As the Lakers prepare to face the Grizzlies with a depleted roster, all eyes will be on how their makeshift lineup performs and whether the front office can pull off a deal that changes the trajectory of their season. The trade deadline is just over a month away, and with both teams having clear needs, the coming weeks promise plenty of intrigue and high-stakes maneuvering.
For now, the Lakers must focus on surviving a brutal January schedule, hoping for the return of key players and the emergence of new heroes from their bench. The next chapter of their season is about to unfold, and with the trade rumor mill heating up, fans can expect plenty of twists and turns before the dust settles.
