CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Rui Hachimura sat in front of his locker humming as reporters streamed into the area after the Los Angeles Lakers' win over the Charlotte Hornets.
Hachimura sang “Country Roads.”
A couple of reporters reacted with surprise to his taste in music. After mocking and smiling, Hachimura turned back and continued humming.
“Take me home,” Hachimura shouted.
The message was clear: Hachimura, like the rest of the Lakers, was ready to go home after 12 days and six away games.
The Lakers ended their Grammy-fueled road trip with a 124-118 win Monday over the Hornets, staving off a furious fourth-quarter comeback sparked by Miles Bridges (career-high 41 points) and rookie Brandon Miller (33 points, 16 in the fourth) to win his third game over straight. Los Angeles finished the trip 4-2 and improved to 27-25 on the season — the first time the Lakers have gone above .500 two games since Dec. 28 (which, coincidentally, came after their first win over the Hornets this season).
Anthony Davis recorded his third career triple-double and second this season, tallying 26 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists, the latter matching his career high at Utah on Jan. 13. D'Angelo Russell scored 28 points and LeBron James scored. He added 26 points, as the Lakers continued to find their rhythm ahead of Thursday's trade deadline.
“When we think about that, we can beat any team in this league,” Davis said. “We lost two games that we felt like we should have won. We probably won two games that people at Nevada thought we should have lost. When we work hard defensively and play the right way, and play Laker basketball, we're going to be a tough team to beat.”
As for Davis, the Lakers won two games they were supposed to win — at least based on the record — against the Golden State Warriors and Hornets, lost two games they were supposed to win against the Houston Rockets and Atlanta Hawks and won two games. Games they were supposed to lose to the Boston Celtics (especially with James and Davis injured) and the New York Knicks.
Even when it looked like the Lakers were going to pull out a landslide, leading by as many as 18 points in the first half and 21 points late in the third quarter, the Hornets rallied to cut the deficit to at least four points with 1:20 left. Davis' block on Bridges' 3-point attempt with 33 seconds left sealed the win. But if there had been an extra minute or two in the game, the Lakers likely would have lost, and the trip would have been a disaster.
The flight almost moved several times. Back-to-back losses to Houston and Atlanta led to James' cryptic tweet about the hourglass and a constant news cycle about his future with the franchise. Players continued to take precise shots of formations and rotations, as well as the game plan. Trade deadline hype has surrounded the group for months. And when James and Davis were ruled out Thursday against Boston, the Lakers seemed on the verge of collapse.
But a spirited win over the Celtics and a gutsy win over the Knicks temporarily righted the ship. The win over the lowly short-handed Hornets, who are missing two of their best players in LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward, gave the Lakers their first trip above .500 all season.
The Lakers return to Los Angeles and get a much-needed two days off. However, their return to work on Thursday comes with great intrigue. Today promises to be hectic on multiple fronts.
First, the trade deadline is at noon local time, which means the Lakers could be a new team by the next game they play. Thursday – 8-24-2 – is also the time when the franchise unveils a Kobe Bryant statue outside Crypto.com Arena. That evening, the Lakers face the Denver Nuggets for the second time this season, pitting them against the team that swept them in the Western Conference Finals last season and beat them by 12 points on opening night.
When asked if the Lakers' trip showed the organization that this group was good enough to invest in, James dismissed the question.
“This is what we have, so there's nothing else to talk about,” James said.
This discussion point is something the Lakers are weighing internally. Wins over the Celtics and Knicks, after quality victories over the Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder and Dallas Mavericks over the past month, and a season-long championship run the month before that, showed the front office the ceiling of this group. Discouraging defeats to the Miami Heat, Memphis Grizzlies and Brooklyn Nets also showed a group that has often regressed to a lower level of competition and struggled for continuity or consistency.
Right now, the Lakers, who currently sit in ninth place in the West, are three games behind the sixth-place Phoenix Suns. Maybe 7 or 8 is the best scenario barring an unexpected turnaround or the teams currently in the top six collapsing. The Lakers were an exception last season when they reached the West Finals as a No. 7 seed, but traditionally, it's been difficult to make the postseason as a lower seed.
There is only one Lakers asset available in a trade that contending teams really want: their 2029 first-round pick. Austin Reaves, who teams continue to demand in negotiations, remains off the table barring the All-Star becomes clear and shockingly available. , according to league sources who granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Any trade of consequence the Lakers might make would have to involve either Russell, Hachimura and/or Gabe Vincent, but contending teams aren't looking to take any of those players without the Lakers' assets attached — ideally a first-round pick, but a pick swap And/or at least two second-round picks.
The Lakers front office feels that most of the available trade options do not reach that level. Atlanta's Dejounte Murray remains the exception as long as the Lakers don't have to empty the cupboard beyond their initial offer of Russell, Hood Schifino, a 2029 first-round pick (preferably protected) and additional draft compensation.
Dorian Finney-Smith, Jerami Grant and Bruce Brown Jr. are others who fill important needs at the wing, according to team and league sources. Otherwise, the Lakers would likely make a move along the margins, perhaps lose some salary in the process, and then operate in the market to acquire a player or two.
Another point for the Lakers is the loss of Jared Vanderbilt, who will be re-evaluated in three to four weeks after the team announced Monday that he is suffering from a sprain in the middle of his right foot. Vanderbilt and the Lakers have ruled out surgery — at least for now — after consulting several specialists. The 24-year-old signed a four-year extension in September and is not eligible to be traded this season.
The Lakers sorely miss Vanderbilt's defense at the point of attack, as evidenced by their aggressive trapping and blitzing against Jalen Brunson and the Knicks and their inability to stymie Bridges or Miller on Monday. To complicate matters, Vincent (knee) is still out until at least March, and Cam Reddish (ankle) may be a week or so away from returning. The Lakers need another solid wing defender — preferably one that's at least as good — and the team continues to seek a reasonable upgrade, according to team sources.
Whether the Lakers are good enough to make a playoff run, let alone win a championship, is an entirely different matter. They currently rank 20th in offensive rating, 14th in defensive rating, and 20th in net rating — hardly the hallmarks of a playoff team, let alone a contender.
James made it clear that evaluation was not his business, at least not publicly.
“That's not a question for me,” James said when asked if the Lakers could win the championship in their current form. “I like who we have in the locker room. That's all I worry about.”
“Except me,” Davis interjected.
“Yeah, I can't stand your ass,” James said sarcastically before continuing with his answer.
“I'm not getting involved in that,” James continued. “We're going to go out and prepare ourselves every night no matter what happens. No matter who's out on this team. No matter what. So that's my job, and it's the AD's job as leaders, to make sure we keep the main thing the main thing. The main focus right now is: Thursday's game on “Our homeland. We are looking forward to this match.”
Russell, who has been linked to rumors since re-signing with the Lakers over the summer, remains at the center of trade talks. He's the closest thing the Lakers have to a big expiring contract. He said he was not bothered by the deadline.
“I don't care,” Russell said. “Absolutely. Show up for work. That's all.”
Russell has played his best basketball as a Laker — and some of the best games of his career — over the past four weeks since returning from a tailbone injury he suffered in late December. Over the last 16 games, Russell is averaging 22.2 points (on 46.3 percent shooting and 44.9 percent 3-point shooting) and 6.4 assists per game as the Lakers go 10-6.
Does the way he's played since then give him peace of mind that he did everything he could to remain a Laker?
“I mean I can't control whether my contract makes sense to be traded either,” Russell said. “So, I mean, just play. You can't control that. Again, I don't care. Absolutely.”
Russell's contract — $17.3 million this season and a player option for $18.7 million next season — makes him the easiest salary cap to move on the Lakers' roster. He should technically have an implied no-trade clause given the one-year structure of his deal, but he and his representatives chose to waive that as part of his negotiations with the Lakers.
Russell explained his reasons again on Monday after briefly addressing the decision at media day in September.
“I thought it made sense,” Russell said. “Obviously I've been here before, played for the Lakers before, so I know what it takes to be successful here. So, if you're part of the future here, you're going to be successful. If you're not, you're going to get traded. And I was traded from Before here. So, my approach is a little different. I really don't care honestly and humbly because I know I can't control it. And secondly, I won't let my mind go there.
“I like to focus on that, and you guys see how I've been focusing on basketball and not the comments and what's trending on social media.”
Although James has made his position clear that he would like the organization to approach this deadline with the comprehensive approach he prefers, the likelihood of the Lakers staying put or making a marginal move has increased somewhat in recent days. According to team and league sources. Their 2029 pick is valuable. If they keep them, they will be armed with three first-round picks to trade this summer. The market continues to favor sellers rather than buyers. The Lakers have also become more confident in their ability to improve internally.
However, with roughly 48 hours until the deadline, the Lakers remain active in the trade market in hopes of striking the right balance between giving themselves a chance to make another improbable playoff run and prioritizing franchise status over the rest of the decade. .
“I've been saying it all year: We've been inconsistent, but what we have in our locker room right now, we feel like we can really compete at a high level,” coach Darvin Hamm said of the team's mentality entering the deadline. “And I think we've seen that over the last three games. When we play at this level, we have enough in our locker room (to win). …
“And the nature of the job is to try to get better, when and if you can. That's all it is. It's the job of basketball.”
(Top photo of LeBron James: David Jensen/Getty Images)
