The Los Angeles Lakers avoided total disaster by turning their play-in tournament ticket into a full-fledged NBA playoff appearance.

Still, a first-round exit to the Denver Nuggets isn't exactly what this bunch hoped the 2023-24 season would produce. As long as LeBron James is on the roster, this club will be evaluated on the championship-or-bust scale, meaning this campaign goes down as a disappointment.

If the Lakers hope to avoid further disappointments in the future, they should plan on getting active on the trade market this offseason. They need to upgrade their talent around James and Anthony Davis, and they just might have enough trade chips to reel in a big fish.

3. Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks

The Lakers enter this offseason with both eyes affixed on the stars.

More specifically, Trae Young, Kyrie Irving and Donovan Mitchell have all been citied as "potential targets" for this team, per The Athletic's Jovan Buha.

While Young feels the closest to the trade market of the three—NBA insider Marc Stein reported it's "likely" Atlanta will deal either Young or Dejounte Murray this summer—he still lands in the No. 3 spot for having the most severe limitations on defense. Even if he's spectacular on offense, he gives back plenty of that production on the other end.

He is a more productive player than D'Angelo Russell, but do the Lakers see the gap as being big enough to give up whatever it would take to get Young away from the Hawks? And would they give him enough touches to reap the full benefits of what he brings on offense? Those questions could weigh heavily on L.A.'s top decision-makers.

2. Kyrie Irving, Dallas Mavericks

It it feels like Irving has been forever linked to the Lakers, that's because he kind of has.

He shares a championship history with James and could create countless scoring chances for Davis. Not to mention all the damage Irving does when dialing his own number (11th-most isolation points this season, per NBA.com).

The potential hang-up, of course, is availability. It sure seems like Irving has a good thing going with Luka Dončić in Dallas and has no apparent incentive to look for the closest exit. Could a premature playoff exit change Irving's outlook, though? That hardly feels impossible.

If L.A. sniffs even a hint of Irving's availability this offseason, it should pounce. It'd be like guaranteeing this team the very best version of Russell every night, only with better handles, superior efficiency and a deeper scoring arsenal.

1. Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers

Cavaliers fans won't want to hear this, but any team searching for a perimeter star this summer will look long and hard at Donovan Mitchell.

Next season is the last guaranteed one on his contract, per Spotrac, and while he could extend his stay in Northeast Ohio, that hardly feels like the expectation. In fact, B/R's Eric Pincus relayed that "the buzz in NBA circles" is that it would take "a run to the NBA Finals" for Mitchell to sign an extension.

If the Cavs are anything other than certain of Mitchell's future with them, they almost have to field trade offers for him. Considering all they gave up to get him, watching him leave for nothing next summer would be an unmitigated disaster.

If Cleveland winds up hearing overtures on Mitchell, L.A. be ready to make an aggressive pitch. His quantity-plus-quality scoring, shot-creation and secondary playmaking would all be valuable assets in L.A. The Lakers have been looking for someone to take the offensive burden off of James' shoulders, and Mitchell seems the best equipped to do that among all of the realistic trade candidates.