Neither the Golden State Warriors nor the Los Angeles Lakers can be happy with their season thus far, but the Lakers, at least, are in the playoff picture.

Still, Los Angeles has long made it clear that they would like to bolster their frontcourt ahead of the 2025 Feb. 6 trade deadline.

The Lakers have been linked to some premier big men on the market. The Warriors, on the other hand, are 21-20 and hold the 11th seed in the Western Conference. They would like to add talent wherever they can find it, although it just so happens that their rumored targets are also big men and forwards.

“The Warriors have continued their due diligence on the trade market and inquired about potential frontcourt upgrades, including Nikola Vucevic, John Collins, Jonas Valančiūnas, and Robert Williams,” reported Hoops Hype’s insider Michael Scotto on Thursday.

If the Lakers want to make an aggressive move ahead of the deadline, they should (and could!) outbid the Warriors for Collins. As the Utah Jazz continue to tank and rebuild, Collins is their best trade candidate.

Collins is an athletic, strong forward who can do a little bit of everything. 

This season, he is averaging 17.9 points on 43.8% shooting from 3-point range and 55.6% shooting from inside the arc. He also snags 8.5 rebounds per game.

Standing at 6-foot-9, the Lakers could deploy him in the frontcourt next to Anthony Davis. The Lakers could offer Gabe Vincent and Rui Hachimura, as well as a first-round pick for Collins, which might be a slight overpay, but it should be enough to scare the Warriors into looking elsewhere. 

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