There’s always something going on with the Lakers, so as we approach the trade deadline, here are the latest whispers going around in LA.
FRED VANVLEET
Fred VanVleet is expected to sign with Klutch Sports, according to NBA insider Marc Stein, fuelling speculation he could end up on the Lakers with fellow Klutch clients LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
The Lakers had already expressed interest in VanVleet before he made the change, per Eric Pincus.
Other teams reportedly showing interest include the Clippers, Suns, Mavericks and Heat.
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Toronto’s asking price is expected to steep, and VanVleet’s contract is sizeable too. He is earning $21.2 million this season and will make 22.8 million the following season.
LAKERS MOVING ON FROM PATRICK BEVERLEY?
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the Lakers are especially eager to find someone better than Patrick Beverley.
“I think that they’re gonna continue to be active looking for guards, basically looking to upgrade their guards, seeing if they can upgrade from Patrick Beverley especially,” he said.
CARIS LEVERT
The Lakers have also taken a look at Cavs guard Caris LeVert, according to Sam Amico.
“The Lakers have kicked around the idea of a LeVert trade in their scanning of rival rosters in their search for more help,” Amico wrote. “In fact, it’s been said that LeVert is a favorite of LeBron James.”
LeVert is currently averaging 12.7 points, 4 rebounds and 3.7 assists.