The Los Angeles Lakers seem to be trending in the right direction in 2023. They are currently on a 5-game winning streak and despite their torrid start, are looking like they might be on their way to making it to the playoffs once everyone is healthy.
One of the biggest talking points around this team all season has been the moves they could potentially make, but nothing has happened so far. At first, the fans were clamoring for some trades because the team was so bad and now they want it to be done so that they can make some noise in the postseason. One of the names that have been linked with the team is Bojan Bogdanovic and he would be a good fit with this roster. While it makes a lot of sense, the Lakers haven’t pulled the trigger and made the trade with the Detroit Pistons and NBA insider Marc Stein revealed the reason behind it.
via Substack:
“There has been little — yet — to indicate that the Lakers’ approach will change. They decided in the offseason that packaging both of their available first-round picks in 2027 and 2029 is too steep a price to pay to trade for the Indiana duo of Myles Turner and Buddy Hield. And they also decided that trading one of those picks with no draft protections attached (along with the expiring contracts of Patrick Beverley and Kendrick Nunn) was too high a price for Detroit’s Bojan Bogdanović. A case can be made that the Lakers should take the one-pick plunge for a better-than-ever Bogdanović — maybe even if the Pistons refuse to lower their price — given the promising form they’ve displayed in 2023 without the injured Anthony Davis to work their way back into the West’s play-in mix. The question, however, remains: How much would Bogdanović, as well as he’s playing, really raise this team’s ceiling?”
It just always seems to come back to those draft picks. Patrick Beverley and Kendrick Nunn haven’t really had much of an impact this season, although we have seen some improvement. Bogdanovic though is having the time of his life, as he is averaging a career-high 21.0 PPG while shooting 41.4% from beyond the arc. The Pistons aren’t going to bring down the asking price, as they themselves are reluctant to trade him, and the Lakers, if they really him, will have to part with that pick.
The Lakers Are Saving Their Picks For A Star
As for why the Lakers are holding on to those picks so desperately, they are doing so in the hope that a star player becomes available. Stein reported that rival front offices believe that the team is saving their picks for a splashier trade target like Bradley Beal or Zach LaVine.
There is no guarantee though that they will be available and with the deadline just a month away, the Lakers better have some clear Plan B in mind. With LeBron James playing so well and Anthony Davis not too far away from a return, there is hope that this won’t be a lost season after all and the front office needs to make sure that they keep trending upward by making some moves.
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.
