Lakers will release Christian Wood to make room for Alex Len

As for what’s next, the Lakers will continue to scour the trade market ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline for potential upgrades, according to team and league sources. But the plan, for now, is to see how Finney-Smith looks with the group, get their injured frontcourt players back (Jaxson Hayes, Jarred Vanderbilt and Christian Wood) and continue to assess the roster as the deadline approaches. In addition to the first-round picks, they have three pick swaps (2026, 2028 and 2030) and two second-round picks to trade. -via New York Times / December 30, 2024