After the latest injury to Anthony Davis, this season may already be over for the Los Angeles Lakers. At 13-17, they sit six games below .500 and have to somehow survive weeks with 37-year-old LeBron James as their best player.
To make matters even worse, the front office (namely GM Rob Pelinka) has been hesitant to make any moves so far, fearing the consequences of giving up the team’s last remaining first-round picks.
But in an interesting twist, Yahoo Sports writer Jake Fischer says the Lakers could actually be looking at acquiring a certain veteran sharpshooter on the Orlando Magic.
“They have two of the premier positions in the league — playmaking forwards — on rookie-scale contracts, intriguing young talent around them on solid contracts, no bad money moving forward, and some veterans who could get them back even more draft capital should they choose to trade them,” one Eastern Conference team strategist told Yahoo Sports.
There are certainly pieces for Orlando to move ahead of this season’s deadline, but the Magic won’t be gaining nearly the return they saw two years before.
Terrence Ross has long garnered interest from the Los Angeles Lakers, sources said. New York was in pursuit of Ross in previous years, as well. Yet, while Orlando has rebuffed offers below a first-round pick for the veteran swingman in recent seasons, sources said, it’s difficult to foresee a playoff contender sacrificing more than a single second-round selection for Ross’ services. The same goes for Gary Harris, although both wing players carry no guaranteed salary beyond this 2022-23 campaign.
The Magic may not be ready to contend for a playoff spot just yet, but with Paolo, Wagner, and an improving cast of youngsters, they certainly have something to cheer for in the weeks and months to come. As a win-now veteran, Ross doesn’t really fit with the Magic’s current timeline, but he could be a great addition to the Lakers.
Will Lakers Make A Move Before The Deadline?
It remains to be seen if the Lakers can stay afloat without AD, but the pressure is on for the front office to make a move and salvage what’s left of this season.
As an experienced veteran and consistent long-distance sniper, Terrence Ross is definitely a guy who could help spread the floor for James. He cannot, however, fix all of the team’s problems on his own.
If the Lakers really want to turn things around and call themselves true contenders, they’ll need to bring in more than just Ross.
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