After months of begging from the fans, Rob Pelinka finally made his first trade of the season by sending Kendrick Nunn, and second-round picks to the Wizards for Rui Hachimura.
Overall, it was a solid move for the Lakers, and Pelinka was widely praised and commended for getting his stars some more help.
Regarding what’s next for the franchise, there is a sense the Lakers are not yet done making moves. In fact, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, there’s one player in particular who may not last another month in the Purple and Gold.
“They now are kind of loaded up at the big man position,” said WIndy. “I think they’re gonna be active looking for guards, seeing if they can upgrade from Patrick Beverley. They can look to try to flip Beverley because he’s got an expiring contract or they could trade the two first round picks in the future. But I think it’s more likely for the Lakers to look for a [Patrick] Beverley flip than there is to be a blockbuster deal at this point.”
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Beverley has been a key factor in the Lakers’ defense this season, which helped to keep them afloat in the absence of Anthony Davis. But with an average of just 6.2 points per game on 39.5% shooting, Bev is a bigger liability than anything else, and the Lakers would be better served with a more capable scorer at the position.
What really matters for L.A. now, though, is who they will trade for with the assets they have left.
Lakers Can Make A Trade For Chicago Bulls Star
The Lakers will probably stick to mid-level trades for now, but they could make one more big splash if they want. With those two first-round picks, the Lakers could make a solid offer for a player like Zach LaVine, who would definitely move the needle for L.A.
“The name that’s become more interesting to me is LaVine,” ESPN’s Zach Lowe said. “I know there has been some thought about with people around the Lakers as a potential trade slash ‘that’s kind of our cap space acquisition.’”
Despite a horrendous start to the season, the Lakers are still within striking range of the Western Conference playoff picture. If they can go on a nice streak before the All-Star break, it might be all they need to power them through the rest of the season.
Either way, the Lakers‘ margin for errors is thin, and any loss can mean the difference between going home early and having a chance in the playoffs.
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