While the NBA Trade Deadline has passed, Los Angeles Lakers rumors keep going as Brook Lopez and Corey Brewer are reportedly front-runners to be bought out.
The NBA Trade Deadline has passed, but Los Angeles Lakers rumors are still popping up. The Lakers completed a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers, which will shake up their roster.
The Lakers acquired Isaiah Thomas, Channing Frye and the Cavaliers 2018 first round pick in exchange for Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. The trade clears the way for the Lakers to be players in the free agent market, as they have a ton of flexibility moving forward.
However, the player movement may not be done for the Lakers. While they cannot make any more trades, the roster can still change with the buyout market being the next place teams will look to upgrade their roster.
While the Lakers may not be a landing spot for veterans looking to join playoff contenders, the Lakers could play a role in the buyout market.
According to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, two Lakers veterans could be bought out. Kyler mentions Brook Lopez and Corey Brewer as two options. He went as far as to include them as front runners along with Joakim Noah, Joe Johnson, Derrick Rose and Derrick Favors.
A couple of deadline comments --- As for buyouts: Joe Johnson, Derrick Rose (waive), Derrick Favors, Brook Lopez, Corey Brewer and Joakim Noah - seem like the front runners. Always about how much $$ they would agree to leave on the table.
— Steve Kyler (@stevekylerNBA) February 8, 2018
A lot of those names make sense. Noah is having issues with the New York Knicks. They tried hard to move him, but there aren’t many suitors for a player with a bad contract and diminishing skills that was exiled from the team.
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Joe Johnson was traded by the Utah Jazz to the Sacramento Kings, and will likely be bought out. Derrick Rose was apart of that three-team deal, and will be waived by the Jazz.
Those three players hitting the market makes sense. Lopez and Brewer being waived from the Lakers? Not so much.
The Lakers have no incentive to clean house of their veterans. They do not own their first-round pick, that will be heading to the Philadelphia 76ers or Boston Celtics because of the Steve Nash trade in 2012. They were able to recoup a first-round pick in the form of the Cavaliers’ 2018 first rounder, but their wins and losses have no impact on where that pick lands.
Continuing to win games would be beneficial to the Lakers. It would show potential free agents that they are improving and are a worthwhile team to sign with. Lopez and Brewer are a big factor in that.
The Lakers have been playing better in recent weeks. They traded key components to that success in Clarkson and Nance Jr., so removing even more veterans in Lopez and Brewer wouldn’t make much sense.
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We will have to see what comes of these rumors. Buying out Lopez and Brewer seems like a long shot, so calling them front runners is peculiar. It would not be a surprise if both remain with the Lakers throughout the remainder of the season. A likelier buyout candidate is actually Thomas, whose agent is already causing a stir despite his client being with the Lakers for a few hours.