The Lakers have some priorities on their list ahead of this season’s NBA trade deadline, as their 16-15 record shows just how far out of contention they are.
“Speed and athleticism are certainly a priority” for the Lakers, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Threads, as they look to upgrade their roster before the February 8 deadline.
A number of reports have linked the purple and gold to two athletic guards in Atlanta’s Dejounte Murray and the Bulls’ Zach LaVine.
Dejounte Murray was revealed as a trade target for the Lakers by The Athletic’s Shams Charania on Tuesday.
Teams looking to secure a deal with the Lakers will want a young player with potential, and Shams believes Austin Reaves would be the type of player teams will want.
“That’s who teams will want,” Charania said. “The Lakers obviously have shown no inclination of moving Austin Reaves, don’t want to move Austin Reaves, but those are the types of players that teams will ask for.”
In terms of deal for LaVine, The Athletic’s Darnell Mayberry believes it’s only a matter of time.
“All signs are pointing to these teams eventually finding common ground on a deal that works for both sides,” Mayberry said earlier this month.
Lakers insider Jovan Buha says the deal will likely be centered around D’Angelo Russell.
“For LaVine specifically, I think the Lakers would consider a D’Angelo Russell-centric deal, but I don’t think they’d throw in much more than a combination of salary filler (Rui Hachimura and/or Gabe Vincent), a young prospect (Max Christie or Jalen Hood-Schifino) and a protected pick (2029 or 2030 first rounder),” Buha said.
Both LaVine and Murray are represented by Klutch Sports, who have strong connections with the Lakers.
Their two superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis are with Klutch, as well as Cam Reddish and Jarred Vanderbilt.
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