The Los Angeles Lakers had two all-stars in 2024 as LeBron James and Anthony Davis have both turned in great (and healthy) seasons. Despite these two all-stars, though, the team does not currnently find itself in a playoff position in the Western Conference.

There are no big moves the Lakers can make now to improve the roster, so the team has to buckle down and put together a run like it did last season if it wants any chance of competing for a championship.

But even if that does not work, the cycle of the NBA continues and the Lakers will look to bring in the next superstar that can either help LeBron and AD win a title, or even be a potential LeBron replacement if he leaves.

Thankfully, the Lakers have more superstar pull than any other franchise in the sport and there are several all-stars from 2024’s squad that could come to LA in the not-so-distant future.

2024 all-stars that could soon be Lakers:
Jayson Tatum

Let’s start with the pipe dream, shall we? Of the players on this list, Jayson Tatum donning the purple and gold might be the most unlikely and it would be the furthest down the line. The betting favorite is for Tatum to stay in Boston and make the absolute most he can as a max contract guy, but if there is any star that could leave for the Lakers in free agency, it is Tatum.

Tatum is a self-proclaimed Lakers fan who idolized Kobe Bryant, so much so that he posed for a photo shoot in the purple and gold for the NBA 75 celebration. Just because he is a fan doesn’t mean he will definitely join the Lakers, but there are other warning signs.

The Boston Celtics are all-in on winning a title in the next two years with this core and thanks to the new NBA luxury tax apron rules, this is not a self-sustaining model that can last for a long time. Tatum can become a free agent after the 2024-25 season with his player option and by then, the Celtics’ chances of building out a contending roster around Tatum and Jaylen Brown might be slim.

The Lakers would have a similar problem with Tatum and Anthony Davis but at least Tatum would be getting a better teammate in Davis. The Lakers would have the salary-cap space to make it happen (unless LeBron signs a new deal this offseason) and have the fan-favorite dynamic to bank on.

Again, it is less likely than the other two players on this list (who would be traded for) but it is still possible.

Trae Young
This is the most likely player on this list to end up on the purple and gold and it could happen as early as the 2024-25 season. There are already trade rumors floating around that the Lakers could explore a Young trade this offseason, which is plausible with the status of the Atlanta Hawks.

Atlanta would probably be better off if they did a Utah Jazz-like deconstruction after the 2023-24 season. This team is not really going anywhere with Young and Murray and the Hawks need to pawn the assets off while they still have value. The alternative is keeping this core intact and remaining a play-in team while the trade assets lose value.

The Lakers will have three first-round picks to trade for Young (if New Orleans decides to take the team’s 2025 pick instead of the 2024 pick) and also has the contracts to make it work. If the Hawks do the sensible thing and shop Young then the Lakers will be the runaway favorites.

That does not mean it will be a smart move, though. Young does not play winning basketball and the team would simply be doing the Russell Westbrook situation all over again. It would not be quite as bad as Young can space the floor but his horrid defending and massively-high usage rate would hurt the team.

Just because it is not smart doesn’t make it any less likely, though. If Young is being shopped then he might be destined to be a Laker… that is as long as the third player on this list isn’t traded to LA first.

Donovan Mitchell
The other 2024 all-star that has been tied to the Lakers in summer trade rumors if Donovan Mitchell. There were some inklings that Mitchell would be traded at the deadline this season but the Cleveland Cavaliers got hot and ultimately decided to keep him in town.

If Cleveland makes a deeper run to the NBA Playoffs this year then the team very well could look to keep Mitchell in town. However, as an expiring contract (player option after the 2024-25 season), Mitchell can demand a trade and pretty much get whatever he wants over the summer.

If both Mitchell and Young are on the trade market and can be had for the package of three first-round picks then the Lakers would be foolish to pick Young. There is some risk in adding Mitchell, who could leave after one season, but the Lakers could actually win a title with Mitchell, LeBron James and Anthony Davis. That isn’t likely with Young, despite his big name.

The one thing the LeBron Lakers have always lacked is that scoring guard who could take over games when needed. AD turned into a scoring big man who took over games in 2020, but all of the best LeBron teams had a guard who could create his own shots in the biggest spots.

Mitchell would add that. The scoring presence of Mitchell alone would open up so many things offensively for the Lakers. And on the defensive end, we would likely see Mitchell playing toward his ceiling knowing that he has Davis behind him as a safety net.

Could it come back to bite? Absolutely. This is a lot to give up (especially considering Austin Reaves would have to be in the trade). But if the Lakers are trying to make a home-run swing to win the title, this is the move.