LeBron, Lakers Want Win Now, Ingram Could Be Sacrificed: NBA Agent

Brandon Ingram is being touted as the first young prospect to be out on the trade block by the Los Angeles Lakers as they look to build a star-studded team around LeBron James to get back to winning ways sooner rather than later.

The Lakers have missed out on making the playoffs for five consecutive seasons and are hoping to change that in James’ first season with the team. And his arrival has made an impact as they are winning more than they are losing at the moment and look in good shape to make the post-season.

The Lakers are still in the market to add more players to make them a winning team this season – and have signed veterans like Tyson Chandler to compliment James. They have been linked with trade moves for a number of top players like Bradley Beal and John Wall in recent weeks but will have to part with some of their young talent to land the aforementioned duo.

According to Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus, who is quoting an unnamed NBA agent, Ingram is top of the list of players that the Lakers are willing to trade to land a big player to help the Lakers get back to winning ways. However, they are said to be keen to wait until next summer in order to get the best deal possible.

The Lakers have a number of top young prospects and this season was all about assessing, who fits in well with James’ style of play. Kyle Kuzma and Lonzo Ball have impressed at different points and have combined well with the three-time NBA champion.

But Ingram has struggled for consistency this season and has not been at his best, which has put him at risk of being traded with the Lakers looking at players that can help them win now and not in the future.

"The Lakers are in win-now mode," the NBA agent was quoted as saying by the Bleacher Report. "Everything is on the table to appease LeBron. They're going to make moves to bring in vets who fit around [James].”

"I think they wait until the summer to look into a big move involving a player like Ingram. That gives them more time to get the best deal,” he added.

The Lakers can keep all of their young prospects and still land a big free agent in the summer with the likes of Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard and Klay Thompson becoming available. But if they want more, they will have to offer up one of their top prospects, especially if they seek a trade for Anthony Davis.

Another unnamed NBA executive believes Ingram could likely be used to land the likes of Beal or CJ McCollum labelling him a 1-A player in a package for a big player after the current campaign concludes.