The NBA trade deadline is about 24 hours away and no major moves have been made by any team. However, the rumors continue to fly and something is bound to happen that will shake things up in the NBA landscape.
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These next 24 hours will be intense and Mitch Kupchak’s phone should be blowing up as the time runs out. For the Lakers, they could be an active participant before the trade deadline, but it’s also possible they could be better served by not making any moves.
According to Mike Bresnehan of the LA Times, the Lakers do not want to include Jordan Clarkson in any type of deal:
Something interesting emerging as tomorrow's trade deadline approaches: Lakers are reluctant to part with rookie PG Jordan Clarkson.
— Mike Bresnahan (@Mike_Bresnahan) February 18, 2015
Clarkson was selected in the second round of last year’s NBA Draft and he was not happy about it. He was the 46th overall selection, which belonged to the Washington Wizards, but the Lakers bought the pick for $1.8 million. Clarkson showed some promise in the Summer League and has been impressive as of late. In his last 10 games, he’s averaged 13.4 points, 3.8 assists and 3.0 rebounds.
Teams must be high on Clarkson for there to be interest in the rookie point guard. It wouldn’t make much sense for the Lakers to trade Clarkson, unless it’s a deal they couldn’t pass up. However, Clarkson has shown great promise and his rookie contract allows the Lakers have some salary cap flexibility.
The Lakers need a point guard, but is Clarkson ready to take over the reigns? He might be better served developing his game as the back-up, but the Lakers need to figure out their point guard situation, which should be resolved in the off-season.