The NBA trade deadline is a time for teams to improve their roster.
However, it is not always the current season’s roster teams look to improve.
Teams with hopes of playing deep into the summer will bolster their current rotation.
Teams with hopes for the future will try to acquire draft picks to add young talent.
But not all teams need to make a move at the deadline.
That is the case for these two teams.
1. Los Angeles Lakers
Things were starting to seemingly turn around for the Los Angeles Lakers.
They won three games in a row, sandwiching wins over the Portland Trail Blazers and Washington Wizards around a primetime victory against the Milwaukee Bucks.
It was the culmination of a 10-game stretch that saw them go 8-2 to draw within two games of .500.
The Lakers are turning their season around 👀📈 pic.twitter.com/fr1PzX6Ya1
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) December 5, 2022
But that win over the Wizards was followed by two bad losses.
A 14-point defeat to the Cleveland Cavaliers and a 13-point defeat to the Toronto Raptors.
Unless the Lakers go for a full mid-season roster reconstruction, there is no need for them to make a move this year.
They should keep the books clear for this offseason to try and sign a true star.
2. New Orleans Pelicans
The other team is the New Orleans Pelicans, current owners of the top spot in the Western Conference.
At 16-8, the Pelicans are the third-best team in the entire NBA.
There's a new best record in the West 🤫 @PelicansNBA pic.twitter.com/EsDNwKqkbn
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 8, 2022
New Orleans pairs the fifth-best offense with the sixth-best defense to outscore teams by nearly seven points per contest.
And they have done it all without a fully healthy roster all season.
CJ McCollum has missed four games, Brandon Ingram has missed nine, Zion Williamson has missed five, and Herb Jones has missed seven.
McCollum, Jonas Valanciunas, and Larry Nance are the only key rotation pieces older than 25.
And they own the Lakers draft pick this season, which could be in the lottery.
The Pelicans should see what this team can accomplish this season.
NEXT: 2 NBA Players That Should Be Traded At The Deadline