The Los Angeles Lakers’ offense looks unstoppable when Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, and LeBron James are on the floor.

Imagine if the same could be said about their defense. While James and Marcus Smart have done a solid job anchoring the unit, an elite perimeter defender could elevate the Lakers to another level on that end of the floor.

Luckily for L.A.’s front office, one of the league’s best enforcers could become available in the coming months.

Lakers Predicted To Trade for Dillon Brooks

The Phoenix Suns are having a respectable year thus far, as they are the No. 7 seed in the loaded Western Conference with a record of 14-10. However, a rebuild remains a real possibility given the way the roster is constructed.

This would pave the way for defensive-minded forward Dillon Brooks to be put on the trade block. Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale predicts the Lakers could trade for Brooks to anchor their defense alongside James and Smart.

“If you think the Los Angeles Lakers are menacing now, just imagine what they’d look like if their best two-way perimeter player wasn’t a competition between Jake LaRavia, Gabe Vincent and Marcus Smart,” Favale wrote. “Either Herb Jones or Dillon Brooks would outfit this team with the type of stopper who can propel them to a deeper playoff push. Both would also cost first-round goodies.”

Brooks is widely regarded as one of the most frustrating players to go against. Whether it’s his antics, trash talk, or aggressive style of defense, the Lakers would greatly benefit from adding him to the mix. He is having a phenomenal season with the Phoenix Suns, averaging 22.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.5 steals on 45.3% shooting in 18 appearances.

This means the Lakers would need to part with a generous number of assets to acquire him. On a more positive note, Brooks has two seasons remaining on his four-year, $86 million contract, so retaining him would not be an immediate worry.

The vast majority of championship-winning teams have a player like Brooks, so it’s in the Lakers’ best interest to see if the Suns are interested in negotiating.