The Los Angeles Lakers have been at the center of trade talks for the whole season, and they finally pulled the trigger by making a move for Rui Hachimura earlier this week. He had a solid showing on his debut as well, finishing with 12 points and 6 rebounds as the Lakers beat the San Antonio Spurs.
While the trade has received a lot of praise, it is evident that his addition alone isn’t going to be enough for the Lakers. GM Rob Pelinka also said they are not finished making trades, and it would appear the Lakers are targeting two veterans, as per Eric Pincus from Bleacher Report.
via Bleacher Report:
“Now that Utah has come down to earth, the front office is believed to be shopping veterans such as guard Mike Conley.”
“Conley’s contract is favorable, with $14.3 million of $24.4 million guaranteed next season. The same (real or wannabe) contenders are thought to have interest, among others: the Lakers, Clippers and Timberwolves.”
The first is Mike Conley Jr., although you have to wonder why the Lakers would want him. They already have a lot of guards, even after trading away Kendrick Nunn, and the only reasoning one can come up with is that Russell Westbrook might be on his way out if Conley arrives. He is having a decent season with the Jazz, having put up 10.5 PPG to go with 7.5 APG while shooting 37.4% from beyond the arc. The shooting isn’t great, but his playmaking could come in handy when LeBron James is on the bench. The other name that Pincus brings up is Eric Gordon.
“The Rockets run the risk of a diminishing return, but Gordon seems likely to be dealt by the deadline.”
“Interested teams include the Suns, Lakers and Bucks.”
Gordon hasn’t shot the ball well this season (34.4% from 3), but he has proven to be a very good shooter over the years, and the Lakers could definitely use someone like him, although he is yet another guard. Like Hachimura, these two are unlikely to command a big haul, though the Houston Rockets do seem to be holding out for a first-round pick for Gordon.
What Moves Could The Lakers Make?
There are likely to be a host of names to get linked with the Lakers as the trade deadline approaches. We decided to try our hand at predicting what moves the Lakers might make before the deadline, and there are some very intriguing ones in there. There are also some ideal starting lineups that the Lakers can create with just one trade as they look to make some noise in the postseason.
Quite a few of those moves, though, would need them to part with those first-round picks that they have been desperately holding on to all this time. Pelinka stated they would trade those picks if a championship move was on the table, and some of these would be. Will he pull the trigger for any of them? Well, time will tell.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
