![\"Saddiq](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/GettyImages-2252650149-e1769693993255.jpg\")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGetty\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Pelicans’ Saddiq Bey during a game against the Houston Rockets in December 2025<\/p>\n
The Los Angeles Lakers<\/a> have long been viewed as buyers ahead of the February 5 trade deadline, with the front office expected to pursue a 3-and-D upgrade on the wing.<\/p>\n While general manager Rob Pelinka has also been reported<\/a> to be canvassing the market for a center, the priority appears to remain finding a young, dependable wing who can fit seamlessly alongside the team\u2019s core.<\/p>\n A wide range of names<\/a> have surfaced in recent weeks, including Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III, Keon Ellis, Jonathan Kuminga, Miles Bridges, DeAndre Hunter, and Andrew Wiggins.<\/p>\n Now, another option has entered the conversation.<\/p>\n Lakers Add New Name to Wing Wishlist<\/p>\n According to HoopsHype\u2019s Michael Scotto<\/a>, New Orleans Pelicans<\/a> forward Saddiq Bey has emerged as another player the Lakers are monitoring.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Los Angeles Lakers have gauged the trade market looking for 3-and-D wing help, with targets ranging from Herb Jones to Andrew Wiggins to Jonathan Kuminga to Saddiq Bey, etcetera,\u201d Scotto reported.<\/p>\n Bey, 26, has put together a strong campaign in New Orleans after missing the entire 2024-25 season with an ACL tear.<\/p>\n Through 42 games, he is averaging 15.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.0 steal per game, while shooting 44.5% from the field and 34.3% from three-point range.<\/p>\n Since entering the league as a first-round pick in 2020, Bey has already experienced a winding NBA journey, spending time with the Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks, and Washington Wizards<\/a> before being dealt to the Pelicans in the summer of 2024.<\/p>\n He is currently in the second year of a three-year, $19 million contract<\/a>, earning $6.1 million this season with his salary rising to $6.4 million in 2026-27.<\/p>\n At 6-foot-8, Bey checks several boxes for Los Angeles. He offers size on the wing, a reliable perimeter shot, and solid defensive versatility.<\/p>\n New Orleans is reportedly testing the market following a red-hot January stretch in which Bey averaged 19.5 points per game while shooting 45% from beyond the arc on five attempts per night.<\/p>\n Lakers\u2019 Asset Constraints Shape Trade Outlook<\/p>\n Any potential deal would have to navigate the Lakers\u2019 limited flexibility. Los Angeles is believed to be actively shopping its expiring contracts, which total more than $40 million in salary.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Lakers have dangled the expiring contracts of Rui Hachimura ($18.26 million), Gabe Vincent ($11.5 million), and Maxi Kleber ($11 million) on the trade market, league sources told HoopsHype,\u201d Scotto added.<\/p>\n However, multiple reports have suggested that those expiring deals have generated minimal outside interest. The Golden State Warriors<\/a> have reportedly<\/a> rebuffed any approach involving Jonathan Kuminga, viewing the Lakers\u2019 offers as insufficient.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, second-year guard Dalton Knecht, who has reportedly requested a trade away from Los Angeles, is believed to have a very limited market, according to The Athletic\u2019s Dan Woik<\/a>e.<\/p>\n As has been the case throughout the deadline cycle, draft capital remains the primary obstacle. The Lakers currently control only one tradable first-round pick, significantly narrowing their options if they hope to make multiple upgrades.<\/p>\n What New Orleans would ultimately demand in return for Bey remains unclear. Still, with limited paths available, Pelinka has reportedly begun exploring creative solutions.<\/p>\n ESPN\u2019s Dave McMenamin<\/a> has reported that the Lakers are looking into trading either their 2031 or 2032 first-round pick in exchange for multiple future selections.<\/p>\n If successful, such a move would allow Los Angeles to unlock additional first-rounders, regain access to its own future picks, and dramatically expand the range of trade constructions available both before the deadline and beyond it.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMatt Evans<\/a> is a sports journalist from the United Kingdom, based in Paris, with over a decade of experience covering the NBA and wider global sport. More about Matt Evans<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Lakers\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\tLoading more stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Getty Pelicans’ Saddiq Bey during a game against the Houston Rockets in December 2025 The Los Angeles Lakers…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":568579,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3790],"tags":[7,4034,1698,300,4044,251,150,4033,4043,6],"class_list":{"0":"post-568578","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-los-angeles-lakers","8":"tag-basketball","9":"tag-la","10":"tag-la-lakers","11":"tag-lakers","12":"tag-lalakers","13":"tag-los-angeles","14":"tag-los-angeles-lakers","15":"tag-losangeles","16":"tag-losangeleslakers","17":"tag-nba"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/115978701920630266","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/568578","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=568578"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/568578\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/568579"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=568578"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=568578"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=568578"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}