Never too high, never too low. That's the motto of the NBA Western Conference this year, as the conference has turned into a grind-it-out dogfight, where No. 5

NFL trade deadline rapidly approaching, here is the ultimate dream deadline scenario for the Los Angeles Lakers.

In this new trade scenario from Doug McCain of The Big Lead, Los Angeles makes a splash ahead of the deadline. The deal would have them landing star forward Brandon Ingram from the New Orleans Pelicans, giving Los Angeles the third star that they have wanted for some time now.

The Los Angeles Lakers head to down the hall to face the Los Angeles Clippers in a Western Conference matchup that was previously known as 'the Hallway Series' due to these two teams once sharing Staples Center. The Lakers are 21-17, which puts them in sixth place. The Clippers are 23-17, which puts them in fifth place.

Los Angeles will attempt to end its three-game road losing streak when the Lakers face Golden State. The teams square off Saturday for the first time this season.

Los Angeles Lakers (25-18, fifth in the Western Conference) vs. Charlotte Hornets (12-30, 14th in the Eastern Conference) Charlotte, North Carolina; Monday, 7 p.m. EST BOTTOM LINE: Los Angeles looks to keep its three-game win streak alive when the Lakers take on Charlotte.

Dwight Howard has some words for the Los Angeles Lakers, as the team tries to come up with a center. Howard used to play for the team.

While the Lakers have momentum heading into the game, they were dealt a tough blow to the injury report ahead of their matchup against the Warriors. Before tipping off at Chase Center, the Lakers announced that forward Rui Hachimura had been downgraded to out and will miss the game against Golden State, per Jovan Buha.

For the past few seasons, the Los Angeles Lakers have not been the dominant franchise that many are accustomed to. The team had one Western Conference Finals run in the 2023 NBA season, but they came off of being in the Play-In tournament numerous times.