As the trade deadline approaches, the Los Angeles Lakers aren’t feeling any urgency to make a move. With LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and a strong supporting cast, the team is well on its way to another long, successful season.
Still, it doesn’t mean team President Rob Pelinka will stay silent on the trade market. In fact, it’s not crazy to think the Lakers could have a few more moves up their sleeve before it’s all said and done. Of course, the question then becomes: what kinds of players would they target?
In a recent article, Greg Swartz noted three potential names the Lakers could add to their radar as they look to repeat as NBA Champions.
(via Greg Swartz of Bleaacher Report)
- Kyle Anderson
- Hassan Whiteside
- Wayne Ellington
With no major needs, the Lakers should instead be searching for rotation veterans who can come in and provide depth.
Anderson, 27, is an extremely versatile combo forward who’s averaging 12.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists as a starter with the Grizzlies this season.
Whiteside plays the 2019-20 Dwight Howard role for the Lakers as a big body who can come into the game and rebound at a high level.
Ellington has hit 52 of his first 106 three-point attempts this season (49.1 percent), tied with Joe Harris for third overall in the NBA. Some contender will surely pry Ellington out of Detroit, especially with him playing on a $2.6 million deal.
With LeBron at 36, and Anthony Davis missing time with injury, depth is important for the Lakeshow. And while their record is currently on good standing (20-6), it couldn’t hurt to add more pieces. With plenty of rising threats in the West, there are no guarantees come playoff time.
A wing like Anderson, rim-running big like Whiteside, and knockdown shooter like Ellington seem like viable candidates for any team, but especially for the Purple and Gold. Role-players like that seem to thrive alongside their two stars, who often make things easier for their teammates.
But we’ll just have to wait and see for ourselves what the Lakers have planned, and if they even have enough assets to pull off a meaningful trade at all.
