The 2025 NBA season is chugging along as the second week of free agency nears its end. The summer has already brought plenty of new faces to the Los Angeles Lakers' roster, including Deandre Ayton, Jake LaRavia, and Adou Thiero, which highlights the solid job general Rob Pelinka has done this offseason.
Although their early moves have been solid, the Lakers still have time to further upgrade their roster — especially if being an NBA title contender is their top priority. With limited cap space, though, a trade is L.A.'s likeliest scenario to bring in reinforcements, which means familiar faces must be shipped out of town to achieve that goal.
Of the Lakers' potential trade pieces, one disappointing veteran stands out above the rest as a candidate to be moved.
Lakers' Gabe Vincent Could Be Traded Before July is Over
Even though he's still on the roster as of July 12, Gabe Vincent is still a trade candidate before the month is over. The veteran guard has one year remaining on his contract with a $11.5 million cap hit, but he might be forced to finish his deal elsewhere if GM Pelinka & Co. can replace him with a more reliable option.
Looking to add experience to the backcourt, the Lakers signed Vincent to a three-year, $33 million contract two offseasons ago. The former UC Santa Barbara product was coming off a solid four-year run with the Miami Heat, and the hope was that he could provide similar support off Los Angeles' bench.
Although Year 2 was better than the first season of his contract, Vincent did little to earn job security with his 2024-25 performance. The 29-year-old guard averaged only 6.4 points on .400/.353/.714 splits, adding 1.4 assists and 1.3 rebounds per game while playing to a minus-3.8 offensive box plus/minus — his second-worst rate of the last four seasons.
After he then went on to average only 2.8 PPG with a 35.7 FG% and 30.8 3P% in the playoffs, it became clearer that Vincent had already worn out his welcome.
The Lakers only have room for reliable backup backcourt options when the likes of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves aren't on the floor. That's why they might look to explore trades that would bring in a more trustworthy guard, meaning Vincent's cap hit could be used to pull a deal off, whether it's a one-for-one situation or as a piece of a bigger trade.
Either way, Vincent's future in Los Angeles is far from guaranteed, and the Lakers would be wise to find a way to upgrade from his roster spot before July is over.