Byron Scott and Mitch Kupchak aren’t expecting any trades for the Lakers before the 2016 NBA Trade Deadline
The Los Angeles Lakers have several players that have widely been reported to be on the block leading up to the 2016 NBA Trade Deadline. The four players that have been most frequently mentioned have been Roy Hibbert, Lou Williams, Nick Young, and Brandon Bass. With the deadline less than a day away, though, the Lakers have remained quiet with no deals being done. Apparently, that could be the way things ultimately wind up.
After the Lakers went back to practice on Wednesday, head coach Byron Scott spoke to the media. While doing so, the question of trades before the deadline came up. Scott said that he had spoken to Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak and that, as of now, there aren’t expected to be any trades for the Lakers ahead of Thursday at Noon PT, per Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times:
Byron on Lakers the day before trade deadline: lI don't see anything really happening."
— Mike Bresnahan (@Mike_Bresnahan) February 17, 2016
Kupchak spoke after Byron and confirmed what the head coach had said:
Mitch said its "unlikely" a deal would be made before trade deadline
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) February 17, 2016
Considering what the Lakers have reportedly been actively shopping, this isn’t wholly surprising. Though players like Williams, Hibbert, and Bass could be useful veterans in the right situations, there isn’t a great market out there for any of them. Kupchak did state that there was plenty of interest in the young core of the Lakers, but reiterated that he didn’t see a deal being done.
While it’s wholly unfortunate that the Lakers apparently aren’t going to be able to shake things up in regards to the veterans eating up minutes on the roster, it’s admirable that they are showing restraint in regards to the young stars of the team and that they are preserving their cap space in 2016 free agency.
Next: Best Player Available at Each Position at Trade Deadline
The only unfortunate part is that, barring a dramatic change of heart from Scott (yeah, right) coming out of the All-Star break, the performance that earned the Lakers an 11-44 record is only going to continue to finish the year.