Lakers Eyeing Trade For NBA Sharpshooter To Help LeBron James

Team USA's slate of exhibitions leading up to the 2024 Olympics has already confirmed that the star-studded squad is hardly guaranteed gold in Paris.

The other biggest takeaway from the Americans' play so far is that LeBron James remains an elite player as his 40th birthday approaches—a reality again laid bare in the crunch time of Team USA's friendly win over Germany on Monday.

As much as James wants a third Olympic gold, though, he clearly desires a fifth NBA championship as well. Amid a largely quiet offseason, the Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly striving to help James reach that goal by continuing to target a trade for Brooklyn Nets sharpshooter Cam Johnson.

Sources told ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel at the Las Vegas Summer League that Los Angeles is among the teams that have recently been "linked" to Johnson in trade rumors. The Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, and San Antonio Spurs have reportedly expressed interest in the former North Carolina standout, too.

Entering his second full season in Brooklyn after being traded from the Phoenix Suns at the 2022 trade deadline as part of the blockbuster package for Kevin Durant, Johnson no longer fits in the rebuilding Nets' short- or long-term plans. He averaged 13.4 points and 4.3 rebounds per game last season while shooting 39.1% from beyond the arc on high volume.

Expect the Lakers to remain active in trade discussions leading up to the early February deadline, hoping to surround James and Anthony Davis with enough talent to compete towards the top of a loaded 2024–25 Western Conference.

Related: Lakers Fans In Shambles After Wild Alex Caruso Trade