Los Angeles Lakers stock up, stock down

A flurry of midseason trades by GM Rob Pelinka saved the Los Angeles Lakers' season, propelling a team that languished in the bottom half of the standings into the Western Conference Finals. However, after suffering a sweep against the Denver Nuggets, the Lakers enter the offseason with more questions than answers. 

Here are four Lakers players whose stock is either rising or falling.

Stock Up 

Jarred Vanderbilt, forward: After joining the Lakers at the Feb. 9 trade deadline, the versatile wing defender became an integral cog in the team's rotation and a consistent starter.  

With one year remaining on his $13.1 million contract, Vanderbilt will undoubtedly be one of the best-value players in the NBA next season. The 6-foot-9 forward can expect a significant pay increase after he hits free agency after next season. 

The Lakers aren't a franchise that's known for letting a player's contract whittle down. As such, expect Vanderbilt to either get a contract extension or be traded.

Austin Reaves, guard: Reaves enjoyed a breakout second season for the Lakers, quickly becoming a core contributor off the bench. Affectionately referred to as "Hillbilly Kobe," Reaves has quickly endeared himself to the fanbase. 

Reaves posted career highs in points (13 per game) and assists (3.4 per game) during the regular season, but it was his playoff performances that really captured attention. In 16 postseason games, Reaves averaged 16.9 points, 4.6 assists and 4.4 rebounds and shot 48.1% from two-point range and 44.3% from deep. 

The Lakers will have a tough decision to make, as Reaves becomes a restricted free agent this summer. Multiple teams will be interested in his services, so the question becomes, how much are the Lakers willing to pay to keep him?  Reaves will likely garner interest in the range of $16M-$18M per season, which may be out of Los Angeles' range. 

Stock Down 

D'Angelo Russell, guard: After rejoining the Lakers at the trade deadline in February, Los Angeles hoped it had finally landed its point guard of the future. However, Russell was unable to find a consistent rhythm alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and in the playoffs, he shot just 31% from deep.

At times, Russell looked to be forcing the issue on offense, which often hurt the Lakers fluidity when trying to enter their half-court actions. Furthermore, Russell essentially vanished during the postseason, especially in the Western Conference Finals.

With a trip into unrestricted free agency waiting for Russell this summer, it's unlikely that you see him return to the Lakers. The bigger question is, will another team be willing to pay him the $31.3 million he earned this past season? Given the new Collective Bargaining Agreement and its restrictiveness with overspending, the answer is most likely no. 

Anthony Davis, forward: After starting the season playing like an MVP, Davis fell victim to yet another injury. Considering the Lakers acquired him to be the bridge between James' present and the team's post-LeBron future, you couldn't blame Pelinka if he looks for other options. 

When healthy, Davis is one of the best players on the planet. The problem is, he doesn't stay healthy long enough to remind everybody of his incredibly diverse skillset. Since the Lakers won the 2020 NBA title, Davis hasn't played in more than 56 regular-season games in a season. It's not possible to build around a player who consistently misses over a quarter of the season. It might be time for Los Angeles to deal him.