The Los Angeles Lakers made a big trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers before the trade deadline. When can they expect their new players to arrive?
It was a busy Thursday for the Los Angeles Lakers, as they made a huge deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers before the trade deadline. In the deal, the Lakers sent Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. to the Cavaliers in exchange for Isaiah Thomas, Channing Frye, and a first round pick in 2018.
With a game against the Oklahoma City on Thursday night, the Lakers were a bit short-handed without two of their normal rotation players. However, the Thunder were without Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony, who were both dealing with ankle injuries.
Since the Thunder didn’t have two of their stars, the Lakers were able to defeat them rather easily. Next up for the Lakers will be a winnable game against the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday night. After the win against the Thunder, Luke Walton talked to Matthew Moreno of LakersNation.com about having Thomas and Frye ready for Saturday. Here’s what Walton had to say.
"“They’re supposed to meet us in Dallas, from my understanding, and be ready to play if we need them,” Lakers head coach Luke Walton said of Frye and Thomas."
Even though the Lakers beat the Thunder, getting Thomas and Frye into the mix on Saturday will be important. As of now, the Lakers are still very much in contention for one of the final playoff spots in the Western Conference, but they will have to continue winning.
Over the last month, the Lakers have been one of the best teams in the NBA record-wise. With Thomas and Frye coming in, the Lakers will hope that they can get them adjusted to their system quickly.
Next: Grading the Isaiah Thomas trade
Even though Thomas struggled with the Cavaliers, he is just one season removed for being an MVP candidate with the Boston Celtics. If Thomas is able to play at that level, the Lakers could certainly find a way to sneak into the playoffs in the West. On Saturday, expect to see the Lakers debut for Thomas against the Mavericks.