The NBA trade deadline is now behind us and it was a crazy one. This past week, we saw a trade that included 12 players which is the largest since Patrick Ewing was traded to the Seattle SuperSonics in 2000.
We saw an emerging star in D’Angelo Russell get traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Clippers both made moves that increase their chances at winning a championship this season. All in all, the trade deadline was exciting and now, we look forward to the buyout market.
The buyout market is the last resort for contending teams to add players and it should be jam-packed with players who can provide meaningful minutes to teams looking to win a championship.
With the deadline for a playoff to be playoff eligible being March 1, expect many players to be bought out and signed by contending teams. With that being said, in this article, we will focus on three players that the Los Angeles Lakers should look to add if they are bought out.
Matthew Dellavedova
Dellavedova, or “Delly” for short, emerged as a fan favorite during the 2015 NBA Finals. With the injury to Kyrie Irving, Delly received big minutes during that finals and would play with a ton of grit. His biggest game of this finals would come in Game 3 when he scored 20 points, grabbed five rebounds, and dished out four assists to help the Cavs come away with a 96-91 victory.
The following year, Delly would capture his first NBA championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers and would then sign with the Milwaukee Bucks. After a short stint there, he was traded back to Cleveland where he hasn’t had much playing time due to Cleveland putting more focus on the young players.
Making just under 10 million dollars a year, it makes sense as to why the Cavs could buy him out and give him the chance to compete for a championship. For the Lakers, Delly could serve as a good orchestrator for the offense in limited minutes and his scrappiness is just what the Lakers are missing.
Reggie Jackson
Jackson’s time with the Pistons may be viewed as a forgettable one and it looks to be coming to an end very soon. Reggie Jackson quickly came on to the scene with the OKC Thunder as he would provide them with valuable minutes when Russell Westbrook went down with an injury. Reggie would be traded to the Detroit Pistons in the middle of the 2014-15 season and would post great numbers as in the 27 games he played for them that season, he averaged 17.6 points and 9.2 assists per game.
In that offseason, Jackson would sign a lucrative deal, netting him 80 million dollars over 5 years. He would never live up to this contract as since then, he would deal with injuries and provide inconsistent play for the Pistons. Now trading away Drummond, the Pistons look as if they are having a fire sale and it seems as if Reggie is up next. With reports of a buyout potentially looming, teams should be ready to acquire his services if he is indeed waived.
For the Lakers, Jackson could return back to that sixth man role that he was effective in with the Oklahoma City Thunder. If he were to come off the bench, he would provide the Lakers with a spark and instant scoring. Playing in a winning environment again should help to improve his play once more and alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis should elevate his play.
Wayne Ellington
For the Knicks this season, Ellington has been pretty disappointing in his limited minutes. Despite this, he could fit well in Los Angeles and a change of scenery could help to improve his season. Ellington was signed by the Knicks this offseason and was looked at as a trade asset all year. With the trade deadline now past us, the next option for him is to be waived and this is something that the Knicks may be considering.
Just last season, Ellington provided the Pistons with good minutes after he was bought out from the Miami Heat. In the 28 games he played in Detroit, he averaged 12 points on 37.3% shooting from three. This type of success can be replicated once again on the Lakers as he would be surrounded by much better talent.
Standing at 6’5, Ellington can play the shooting guard or small forward position and this versatility could be vital to the Lakers. As a shooter, he could get hot at any moment and this type of spark could be just the thing that the Lakers need to get back on track after a rough last couple of weeks.
Next
2020 NBA Trade Deadline: The Biggest Winners And Losers
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The Reason Why The Warriors Traded D’Angelo Russell To The Timberwolves
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