{"id":172255,"date":"2026-01-10T19:09:32","date_gmt":"2026-01-11T00:09:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=172255"},"modified":"2026-01-10T19:12:40","modified_gmt":"2026-01-11T00:12:40","slug":"nba-mock-morant-trade-lakers-ochai-agbaji-rumors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2026\/01\/10\/nba-mock-morant-trade-lakers-ochai-agbaji-rumors\/","title":{"rendered":"Insider&#8217;s Mock Morant Trade Gifts Lakers 3-and-D Target"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Memphis Grizzlies\u2019 willingness to hear offers for <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/m\/moranja01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ja Morant<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has left trade machines around the world firing on all cylinders. One insider\u2019s proposed deal sending Morant up north has the Lakers filling a dire need with an underrated, intriguing target.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Insider&#8217;s Mock Morant Trade Gifts Lakers 3-and-D Target<\/b><\/h2>\n<h3><b>The Athletic\u2019s Three-Team Trade Proposal<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6958682\/2026\/01\/10\/ja-morant-trade-landing-spots-heat-clippers-raptors\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Saturday article for The Athletic<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, NBA insider Sam Vecenie put together a three-team shakeup that is as follows:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Raptors receive:<\/b> <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/m\/moranja01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ja Morant<\/span><\/a><b><\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Grizzlies receive:<\/b> <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/q\/quickim01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Immanuel Quickley<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/w\/walteja01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ja\u2019Kobe Walter<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/v\/vincega01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gabe Vincent<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Toronto\u2019s 2026 first-round pick, LA\u2019s 2032 second-round pick<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Lakers receive:<\/b> <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/a\/agbajoc01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ochai Agbaji<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/k\/konchjo01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">John Konchar<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vecenie believes the Lakers would benefit from getting athletic end-of-the-bench players without giving up significant assets:<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cFor some reason, Agbaji\u2019s shooting has abandoned him this season. Still, after hitting 40 percent from 3 last season, he\u2019s a reasonable reclamation project for a team with limited trade resources that needs to make a deal.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Konchar is a typical 10th man, but would give the Lakers a smart player and a bit more depth with his wing experience, which they need. They\u2019re doing what they can to reshape the roster while not limiting their ability to make another deal using Maxi Kleber\u2019s and Rui Hachimura\u2019s expiring money.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Though Konchar would be an okay addition for wing depth, Agbaji could be a solid backup plan in light of more unfortunate news about the Lakers\u2019 top targets. The pipe dream of landing <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/j\/joneshe01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Herb Jones <\/a><\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/JSMonYT\/status\/2009394772667228433\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">remains just that<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, while discussions around <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/w\/wiggian01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Andrew Wiggins<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/e\/elliske01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keon Ellis<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> have stayed dormant.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Lakers Could Capitalize on Agbaji\u2019s Down Year in Toronto<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><a  href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/KeithSmithNBA\/status\/2010015590271070468\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Agbaji has taken a backseat<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with the Raptors, averaging 4.2 points and 2.3 rebounds in nearly 16 minutes per game. However, his career year the season before\u201410.4 points and 0.9 steals on .498\/.399\/.708 splits\u2014perfectly illustrates the role he could fill if given the chance.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_172260\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-172260\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-172260 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/01\/USATSI_24732994_168402037_lowres-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Nov 10, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) talks to Toronto Raptors guard Ochai Agbaji (30) during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/01\/USATSI_24732994_168402037_lowres-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/01\/USATSI_24732994_168402037_lowres-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/01\/USATSI_24732994_168402037_lowres-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/01\/USATSI_24732994_168402037_lowres-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/01\/USATSI_24732994_168402037_lowres-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/01\/USATSI_24732994_168402037_lowres-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/01\/USATSI_24732994_168402037_lowres-1200x800.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-172260\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nov 10, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) talks to Toronto Raptors guard Ochai Agbaji (30) during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At 6\u20195\u201d with a 6\u201910\u201d wingspan, Agbaji hounds opponents with <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=0TXxsfJEFV0\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">active hands<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and displays some <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ws4ycY-KbUw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">surprising rim protection<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Offensively, he can <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IEppYWexEcQ\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">knock down threes<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> off the catch and fly for the <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/OmerOsman200\/status\/1993422522541654206\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">occasional highlight-worthy jam<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Those skills would be welcomed to a struggling Lakers bench void of athletic two-way players\u2014particularly with <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/l\/laravja01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jake LaRavia<\/span><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2026\/01\/05\/lakers-wing-building-case-for-permanent-promotion\/\" target=\"_self\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">excelling with the starters<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as of late.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Now that the Trae Young trade has opened the market, let&#39;s hope Robert Todd Pelinka Jr can go out and get the Lakers a 2-way wing. Here&#39;s some non-Herb Jones targets linked to the trade market so far<\/p>\n<p>A. Ochai Agbaji<br \/>B. Keon Ellis<br \/>C. Naji Marshall<br \/>D. Isaac Okoro<\/p>\n<p>Who&#39;s your pick? <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/NM90x8Rdz9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/NM90x8Rdz9<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; JSM (@JSMonYT) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JSMonYT\/status\/2009394772667228433?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">January 8, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h3><b>The Last Word<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As the trade deadline creeps closer and the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2026\/01\/07\/insider-three-wings-viewed-as-realistic-options-for-lakers\/\" target=\"_self\">Lakers\u2019 list of secondary targets<\/a> grows larger, the team may be better off making a marginal move while saving assets for a bigger trade. Agbaji could be just the player they\u2019re looking for, as the Lakers could put him in a better situation without sacrificing that coveted first-round pick in the process.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">LA remains fifth in the West at 23-13 overall, aiming to get back on track amid a two-game losing streak. The team\u2019s second unit will be under a microscope going forward, with fans hoping the front office gets active sooner than later.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a9 Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Memphis Grizzlies\u2019 willingness to hear offers for Ja Morant has left trade machines around the world firing on all cylinders. One insider\u2019s proposed deal sending Morant up north has the Lakers filling a dire need with an underrated, intriguing target. Insider&#8217;s Mock Morant Trade Gifts Lakers 3-and-D Target The Athletic\u2019s Three-Team Trade Proposal In [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4265,"featured_media":172258,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,26,32,62,3,14,4721],"tags":[212,4921,1822,49497,3565,4624,4485],"class_list":["post-172255","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","category-lakers","category-grizzlies","category-nba","category-news","category-raptors","category-trade-rumors","tag-andrew-wiggins","tag-gabe-vincent","tag-ja-morant","tag-jake-laravia","tag-john-konchar","tag-keon-ellis","tag-ochai-agbaji"],"modified_by":"Jordan Pagkalinawan","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172255","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4265"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=172255"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172255\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":172266,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172255\/revisions\/172266"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/172258"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=172255"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=172255"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=172255"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}