In recent weeks, coach JJ Redick and James have both noted that the Lakers have no margin for error in games due to a thin roster. Jarred Vanderbilt and Christian Wood were expected to be key pieces of the team's rotation but have missed the entire season so far.

At 22-18, the Los Angeles Lakers find themselves firmly ensconced in the middle tier of the Western Conference pack — they're currently the No. 6 seed, although that could change depending on the result of their Tuesday clash against the 6-35 Washington Wizards.

The chances of the Lakers making the type of big trade that would make them contenders or near-contenders any time soon may be slim.