At this point, it’s no secret that the Lakers are in need of some serious changes. For now, and for the next few weeks, those changes will likely happen on the court, as Darvin Ham continues to make adjustments to his rotation and offensive strategies.
Of course, even despite his resurgence, Russell Westbrook has been a point of focus for both fans and analysts who want to see the Lakers make a major move before the deadline. Actually, with Russ playing so well, now might be the best time to find a suitable package for him.
But apparently, there’s a good reason why the Lakers are standing PAT through all the struggles. According to what one executive told Howard Beck in a report on “The Crossover NBA Show,” the Lakers are waiting for a specific player before they give up any of their prized assets.
“I will add one thing without going into all the detail, but I was canvassing a bunch of front office folks last week when I was workshopping my idea of ‘Can the Nets tear down now? Should they just tear down now? What could they reasonably get for Kevin Durant? Could they get anything for Kyrie Irving? Could they get anything at all for Ben Simmons?’” said Beck. “And in those discussions, when I brought up the Lakers, the pushback I was getting was they’re waiting for a specific player. That they’re not doing the Pacer deal, that they won’t do the Kyrie deal now that we for sure thought they would do a couple months ago, is an indication that the Lakers are waiting for a bigger piece to come loose that they think they can trade Westbrook and the two future firsts for.”
So, if the Lakers aren’t holding for Kyrie or Myles Turner/ Buddy Hield, what player could they possibly be talking about? Mr. Beck refused to give any hints on who the player might be, but there are a number of players it could be.
Los Angeles Lakers Could Be Holding Their Assets For Unnamed Star Player
One possible answer could be Kevin Durant. After requesting a trade this summer, KD was forced to return to the Nets, who are now just 4-7 on the season. If things continue spiraling out of control for Brooklyn, might the Nets be swayed into making a deal?
Another potential target for the Lakers could be DeMar DeRozan. The Lakers had the chance to get DeMar two summers ago but chose to pursue Westbrook instead. might the Bulls listen to a Lakers offer amid their struggles? Would they listen if a guy like Anthony Davis was on the table?
We might never know for sure what player the Lakers have in mind right now, but it might not matter anyway. With so little to offer in the way of assets, trading for someone who moves the needle of this team borders on impossible, especially if Rob Pelinka is unwilling to give up his first-round picks.
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