Trade rumors will become too loud to ignore for 2 Lakers with premature playoff exit

The last two contests have to be tough pills to swallow too. Both Game 3 and Game 4 were very winnable outings for the Lakers. However, a handful of issues have plagued the team and put them in this 1-3 deficit following a gutting 116-113 loss on Sunday afternoon.

If the Lakers end up starting their offseason as early as next week, the rumor mill will be unforgiving. Los Angeles is never short of trade speculation. This will be even more apparent with being given the first real opportunity to retool the roster around Luka Doncic. There are two players on the Lakers, in particular, who may have to turn off their phones for some peace of mind.

A roster shakeup could be larger than expected in Los Angeles

JJ Redick played five players for the entire second half of the Game 4 loss in Minnesota. That should tell anyone all they need to know about the current roster and rotation.

For the past two games, the key players on the Lakers have just run out of gas in crunch time. It was more obvious in the Game 3 when the Lakers were outscored 13-1 down the final stretch of the fourth quarter. However, it was the same story in Game 4 with the Lakers losing the fourth by a margin of 32-19.

Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura have been two players that have been important to the Lakers this season and in years past. They also represent two prime candidates to be included in a deal that is too good to pass up this offseason.

Make no mistake about it, the value has to be right. Hachimura's defensive impact and versatility serves the Lakers well. Reaves has steadily grown into a borderline star on one of the better contracts in the league. Any trade talks involving either player would need to have the Lakers as the unquestionable winners of the trade.

However, the idea of either being largely untouchable altogether would quickly fade with a series loss in the first round.

The Lakers are not exactly a team rich in draft capital. Potential upgrades on the trade market in the offseason would have to come at the expense of dangling your own players. One would imagine Rob Pelinka will not be eager to push either out of town. Despite that, a complete unwillingness to move one, or both, should not be expected either.