The Los Angeles Lakers are in shambles, as they are winless through three games in the 2022-23 NBA season. Sure it is still early, but could the Lakers be already in the planning stages of acquiring a new player via a trade to stop the bleeding? According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, veteran guard Josh Richardson has been on the Lakers' radar for weeks now.

“The Lakers have also held preliminary discussions with the Spurs in recent weeks, sources said, showing interest in three-and-D wing Josh Richardson. The 6-foot-5 Richardson has averaged nearly 13 points to start the season, shooting 47.1 percent on 5.67 three-point attempts per game. So expect the Lakers to continue to keep tabs with the Spurs, Hornets and Pacers as a potential trade partner as the season wears on.”

With the losses piling up and anxiety in Hollywood on a high, the idea of the Lakers pulling the trigger on such a trade becomes more and more appealing.

Richardson does possess some key qualities the Lakers would love to have right now, including his ability to consistently hit deep shots. Through three games with the Spurs this season, Richardson has hit 47.1 percent from behind the arc. It's not sustainable in the long run, but he has been shooting the ball from the 3-point region much better than some of the Lakers guards, including Russell Westbrook and Pat Beverley.

Richardson, who was traded to the San Antonio Spurs by the Boston Celtics last February, is about to hit the free-agent market by the end of the current season.