With a hole in the small forward role and the Miami Heat on the brink of being outside of the playoff race, our latest look into Lakers rumors involves trading for Luol Deng, a player LA has had it’s on eye for many year.
The Lakers don’t have a shot at the playoffs with the current constructed roster, but a player they’ve had their eyes on for a while now is Luol Deng.
Deng struggled in Cleveland and hasn’t found a home in Miami, so why not inquire about him since the Lakers lack small forwards?
In terms of salaries, Jeremy Lin or Jordan Hill will work depending on what the Heat want in return, but it would be an upgrade in talent for the Lakers and a step towards bettering their roster for the off-season rebuild.
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Jordan Hill, if traded, would be missed for his work ethic on the boards especially, but with the Lakers excess of power forwards Hill becomes expendable because of Ed Davis, Ryan Kelly, Tarik Black and injured Julius Randle.
In a season where the Lakers are rebuilding in addition to an active trade market, staying put and waiting until the season ends would be a mistake. Acquiring Luol Deng wouldn’t put the Lakers in playoff contention, but it would signal an end to the tanking discussion and serve as more recruitment for potential free agents in coming summers.
Miami is positioned to recruit another “Big 3” in 2016 so the Lakers’ expiring contracts now appear more valuable to them. Pat Riley is an aggressive President of Basketball Operations in Miami and similar to when Jerry West was a part of the Memphis Grizzlies, former Lakers are willing to be trade partners if it’s a win-win scenario for both sides.
When the Lakers face the Heat tonight, it’s the future both teams are playing for, not the present.