An LA Lakers trade seems to be in the works for more pieces after adding Rui Hachimura. Los Angeles made a smart deal, sending Kendrick Nunn and three second-round picks to the Washington Wizards on Monday. Los Angeles needed a wing and they got exactly that.
Now, the Lakers are expected to go after a veteran point guard. There are a few on the market, and there’s a good chance even more will become available during the buyout market period.
Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus reported that the Lakers could still be looking for minor deals after adding Hachimura:
“After acquiring Rui Hachimura from the Wizards on Monday, the Lakers could still look for minor deals around guards Lonnie Walker IV and Patrick Beverley.”
He then added who the Lakers might be interested in, including Utah Jazz 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 Timberwovles,” Pincus wrote.
Pincus reported that the teams interested in Houston Rockets guard Eric Gordon are the Phoenix Suns, Lakers, and Milwaukee Bucks:
“A compromise might consist of a pick swap, with Houston using the Milwaukee Bucks’ first (projected to be around No. 25) it has from the 2021 P.J. Tucker trade. 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.”
Will an LA Lakers trade put them over the top? Maybe not yet. However, with health and the right additions, LeBron James and Anthony Davis can be scarier than any other duo in basketball. There’s a reason why the two of them won an NBA championship together, already and it’s not out of the equation to see them do it again.
The Lakers will have to make the right decisions, just as they did with the Hachimura move. Let’s see what general manager Rob Pelinka comes up with as the Lakers look to get back to being championship contenders.