The Los Angeles Lakers are running out of options in free agency and backing themselves into the corner of requiring a trade to improve. It’s an unenviable place to be for the only franchise that hasn’t yet signed a new player this offseason.

With the perceived need for a trade hanging over their heads, the Lakers must now decide who among their players qualifies as untouchable.

It’s difficult to definitively declare a player as untouchable, as the opportunity to trade for a superstar often disregards all previous discussions. It would behoove Los Angeles to commit to a core that it intends to keep together, however, and that goes beyond simply identifying players it would prefer to keep.

Instead, the Lakers must look at their roster and figure out which collection of players resemble the future they hope to build towards.

Despite how bleak the future is often made to look by fans and skeptics alike, the Lakers have an interesting core they can build around. That includes two All-NBA mainstays in their extended primes and two up-and-coming players with the tools to become full-time starters moving forward.

The list of untouchable players begins in the most obvious of places: With the only player in the Association to earn All-NBA and All-Defense honors in 2023-24.

1. Anthony Davis

It’s hard to imagine a scenario in which the Lakers would be willing to trade Anthony Davis. There aren’t many players in the NBA who are definitively better than him, and those who are likely have the untouchable tag attached to their names by their respective organizations.

Coming off of one of the best seasons of his career, and in the midst of a dominant run with  Team USA, there’s no more obvious player to list here than Davis.

Davis earned All-NBA Second Team and All-Defensive First Team recognition for his tremendous 2023-24 campaign. He appeared in 76 out of 82 games, averaging 24.7 points, 12.6 rebounds, 3.1 offensive boards, 3.5 assists, 2.3 blocks, and 1.2 steals per appearance.

Davis isn’t just productive, but efficient in everything he does, as evidenced by his 55.6 percent shooting from the field and 81.6 percent mark at the free throw line.

Furthermore, Davis ranked No. 1 in the NBA in second-chance points, No. 2 in points via post-ups, No. 3 in double-doubles, and No. 1 among centers in three-point field goals contested. He was also the only player in the Association who ranked in the top 15 in points, rebounds, and blocks per game.

A true franchise player with elite two-way value, trading Davis would be a disastrous decision that Pelinka would be unlikely to even begin to consider.

2. LeBron James

The second name on the list is no less obvious than Anthony Davis. LeBron James is not only one of the greatest players in NBA history, but one of the two best Los Angeles Lakers entering the 2024-25 season—and there’s little reason to believe there will be a drop-off until it actually happens.

An ageless wonder who has raised the standard for players in their late 30s, James will turn 40 in December and hasn’t yet played below the All-NBA threshold.

James earned his record-extending 20th All-NBA nod in 2023-24. He appeared in 71 games, his most since 2017-18, and shot a career-best 41.3 percent from beyond the arc at a time when his quality of play and availability should’ve decreased.

Instead, James produced numbers that players 15 years his younger can’t reach at 25.7 points, 8.3 assists, 7.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 2.1 three-point field goals made per game.

It’s been 21 years since James averaged fewer than 25 points per game, and his vastly improved jump shot has suddenly simplified scoring for him. He may take something of a step back at age 40, but betting against the four-time NBA MVP has never been a wise decision.

Throw in the fact that James has a no-trade clause and the Lakers should go ahead and list him as untouchable before even pretending they’d part ways with him.

3. Dalton Knecht

It might be a bit early to label Dalton Knecht as untouchable, but it’s long past time the organization prioritizes a key young player’s development. The 2024 SEC Player of the Year was a gift of a draft pick at No. 17 overall, as most had projected him to come off the board in the top 10.

A trade for a superstar changes everything, yes, but the Los Angeles Lakers would be doing themselves a disservice to not explore Knecht’s upside in 2024-25—and ideally beyond.

Knecht enters the NBA as one of the most prolific scorers in his draft class. He ranked No. 1 in the SEC and No. 8 in the country at 21.7 points per game, and finished at No. 3 in the conference in three-point field goals made at 2.6 per outing.

If you’re wondering how that translates to winning, Knecht led the Volunteers to the team’s first Elite Elite appearance since 2010—and he scored 37 points in that final effort.

Summer League can only tell teams so much, but Knecht is making the most of his opportunity to prove that the 16 teams that passed on him were wrong to do so. He’s a three-level scorer with a tremendous outside shot, as well as a 6’9″ wingspan that permits positional versatility.

Head coach JJ Redick is already working with Knecht to help him prepare for his rookie campaign, and giving the first-year player anything less than a full season would be a baffling decision.

Los Angeles is finally embracing the value of quality up-and-coming talent on team-friendly contracts. Trading their most promising young player before he can prove himself would be ludicrous.

4. Austin Reaves

Outside of Anthony Davis and LeBron James, no player has established themselves as more of a proven commodity than Austin Reaves. Arguments could be made for Rui Hachimura and D’Angelo Russell, but Reaves continues to excel in the regular season and the postseason alike.

Unless the Los Angeles Lakers can acquire a true superstar—which carries its own financial risk under the new CBA—parting with Reaves simply cannot happen.

Reaves is entering the second season of a four-year deal that will see him make a bargain salary of $12,976,362. He far exceeds what he’s paid in terms of on-court value as a shot-creating wing who shoots efficiently, can attack off the bounce, and ranks among the better playmakers at his position.

This past season, Reaves posted career-best averages across the board at 15.9 points, 5.5 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 0.8 steals, and 1.9 three-point field goals made per game.

Parting ways with a low-cost player who has improved each season that he’s been in the NBA would be the epitome of poor team management. He’s the type of player that general managers and salary cap specialists dream of, and is a rare example of the Lakers paying below a player’s market value.

Team-building is a more cost-dependent task than ever before. Giving up one of the best players on the roster, let alone one who plays on a team-friendly deal, is a crazy enough thought that Reaves instantly becomes untouchable.