Recent Lakers rumors are that the Minnesota Timberwolves are aggressively trying to move up to get the 4th pick in the NBA Draft.
With the NBA Draft nearly here, there have been plenty of Lakers rumors regarding what might happen on draft night.
One of the main rumors concerning the Lakers of late has been them trying to clear a few more contracts in order to create a third max slot. The Lakers have already agreed to a trade that will be bringing Anthony Davis to Los Angeles. However, they might be trying to add a third team into the mix in order to clear the contracts of Moritz Wagner, Isaac Bonga, and Jemerrio Jones.
According to Marc Stein, the Minnesota Timberwolves are very interested in the 4th overall pick, making them a potential third team to add into the trade.
The Timberwolves have been aggressive in their attempts to move up in the draft from No. 11 and are among the teams that have discussed acquiring No. 4 from New Orleans, league sources say
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 20, 2019
With Wagner having a rather unimpressive rookie season, the Lakers don’t seem to have any hesitations when it comes to moving him in order to free up more cap space. He was a first round pick just last season, but barely played any meaningful minutes.
While nothing is guaranteed that the Pelicans would want to move the 4th pick, the Lakers are likely going to exhaust every option in order to create that third max slot. There are still a lot of very good free agents available, even with Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson suffering major injuries.
The Lakers are currently in a strong position with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, however, adding a third star would solidify them as the favorites in the NBA. A potential pairing with guys like Kawhi Leonard, Jimmy Butler, Khris Middleton, or Kyrie Irving could be special.
As the draft approaches, we will have to monitor if the Lakers and Pelicans add a third team into the mix to finish up the deal for Anthony Davis. With the Lakers’ desire to clear a few more contracts, expect them to be very active on draft night.