Lakers Fans Will Love the Latest Trade Report by Shams Charania.
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The Los Angeles Lakers have been playing good basketball in recent weeks, improving to 17-13 after a nail-biter win against the Warriors on Christmas Day. Even though things are looking up for the Lakers, they are still far from championship contention and need roster upgrades. Therefore, the fans are more focused on the trade deadline than the results on the court.
Lakers fans are desperately hoping for significant additions to the roster, ideally a third star next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The latest reporting by NBA insider Shams Charania may signal the increased chances of that. On his ESPN appearance, Charania said that the Lakers front office is open to moving all of their available first-round picks for the right player. He identifies that player is someone who “can get into this iteration of this team but also can play 3-5 years under JJ Redick”.
NBA Rumors: Lakers Ready to Go All-In With Their Draft Capital.
It is understandable why the Lakers fans may be skeptical about this. They have previously heard this from GM Rob Pelinka for him to not make a move afterward. The vague description of the “right player” may make it easy for the front office to later claim that the player wasn’t available at the deadline. This sort of reporting may be out there to give the impression that the front office is trying to improve the roster while, in reality, they want to keep their powder dry for a post-LeBron James era.
However, the circumstances are different this time around. Pelinka’s seat is getting warmer and general managers tend to make win-now moves when they feel like they may lose their jobs. Why would a GM care about draft picks in five years if they are not going to be around then?
Perhaps a trade for an aging star like Jimmy Butler is out of the question after this reporting but Trae Young, De’Aaron Fox, Brandon Ingram, and Zach LaVine could fit the bill.
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