Los Angeles Lakers Rumors: What players the Lakers can trade realistically

Los Angeles Lakers rumors are beginning to pop up about who the team could trade for to round out their roster. We take a look at some options that have popped up and the chances they have at happening.

The Lakers rumors will never stop as long as the Los Angeles Lakers are the number one team in Los Angeles. Furthermore, trade rumors always surround a LeBron James team around the NBA trade deadline. Lake Show Life will look at the roster and break down realistically who the Lakers can move. Who will stay and who could go?

With the Los Angeles Lakers sitting at the top of the Western Conference after defeating the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday, one would believe that it would be crazy to talk about potential trades to the roster. A couple of things that will bring things back to reality.

Number one, this is the Los Angeles Lakers franchise. Lakers rumors basically drive the NBA news cycle at times during the regular season. Remember last year when they chased Anthony Davis all over the country trying to get him at the midseason trade deadline? After December 15th, the Lakers rumors will be back in full swing, believe that.

Number two, LeBron James plays on this team. Ever heard of him? What LeBron James team does anyone know of that didn’t try to make a trade before the deadline? David Griffin can attest to how hectic it can be trying to constantly improve the team to make championship runs.

With the LA Clippers one game behind the Lakers, without Paul George even suiting up yet, trade conspiracy theories of who the Lakers need to unload to upgrade the roster will pop up. Like it or not, even though the Lakers are in the number one spot, for now, that doesn’t mean that the Laker Nation is not worried (Or that they will admit it!).

The question going forward concerning the Lakers will be, “What will they do next?” What options does Rob Pelinka really have to fill this roster around cornerstones, LeBron James and Anthony Davis? What players could the Lakers use to make a deep run in the playoffs against the best teams in the conference?

Even though the Lakers blew up the “youth movement” mission statement and changed the roster this offseason, there is one player that the team covets. It’s a poorly guarded secret that’s worse than AD’s trade negotiations last year.

The Los Angeles Lakers are all in on Memphis Grizzlies buyout candidate Andre Iguodala. Lake Show Life has been following this since he was traded from the Golden State Warriors.

Outside of the fact that Iguodala brings championship creditably to a locker room that LeBron will respect, the Lakers has few other ways to improve the roster without blowing up the rotation again.

Despite the Lakers’ strong start, that hasn’t stopped fans from demanding trades that makes no sense for certain players that will never come. It hasn’t stopped articles or videos from coming out stating rumors that are not possible.

Lake Show Life is now bringing out a reality guide on who could be traded and the ones that just aren’t going anywhere unless something crazy happens (This is the NBA, after Paul George got traded to the Clippers, nothing could be ruled out!). In the end, Lake Show Life will reveal the two biggest assets the Lakers have.

Let’s be clear here: This is not saying who will be traded! It’s an article about the minimal options the Lakers have and more importantly what players would make another team pick up the phone.

A J.J. Redick scenario that cannot happen

Here’s a YouTube clip breaking down a potential deal using Lake Show Life’s fellow FanSided site L.A. Sports Hub.

"“Rob Pelinka and David Griffin might be on the phone some more as J.J. Redick is the perfect veteran trade piece for the Lakers to consider, even though he does not really fit the wing defender or ball-handler mold. What Redick does bring is sharpshooting that will be lethal around James and Davis and add another scoring output for the team as well as playoff experience. Redick has so much playoff experience due to the fact that he has never missed the playoffs in his entire career. There is a risk that he misses the playoffs in New Orleans but can be saved by being traded to the Lakers.”"

In theory, talent-wise this would work out for the Lakers. The shooters that the Lakers brought in have for the most part have struggled from the 3-point line.

Quinn Cook, Troy Daniels, Avery Bradley, Kyle Kuzma (He gets a pass for the next few games) have struggled from the 3-point line. Danny Green has been solid with the explosion against the Clippers on opening night and well there will always be this.

https://twitter.com/Lakers/status/1190482104309571584

In reality, Jason Reed used opinion to illustrate the Lakers’ need for a knockdown shooter. J.J. Redick certainly qualifies as a shooter the team needs.

Certainly, the Lakers faithful would want this deal to go through in a heartbeat considering the fact that for most of the season, Caldwell-Pope has been sub-par, to be kind. Outside of knocking down two big shots including this 3-pointer against the Spurs.

https://twitter.com/Lakers/status/1191178773191774208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1191178773191774208&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Flakeshowlife.com%2F2019%2F11%2F04%2Flos-angeles-lakers-5-lessons-win-vs-san-antonio-spurs%2F

Lakers fans have flooded the comment sections asking for the Lakers to trade Kentavious Caldwell-Pope anywhere. The shooting slump that netted him one point in the first two games wasn’t doing him any favors.

Guess what, barring some miracle, he’s not going anywhere. Let’s see why.

Everyone forgets who Rich Paul is, and he made sure Caldwell-Pope stays 

KCP probably is a really nice guy, but when his name comes up attached to the Lakers, it seems that it just rubs people the wrong way. Most already believe he was wildly overpaid based on his production from day one. Also, it is believed that he would have been gone long ago if he wasn’t a Klutch Sports client.

We know Josh Hart is one of those people. Now in Lake Show Life’s six degrees of separation tactic of illustration, let’s follow along because it can get confusing.

Earlier this year Josh Hart did an appearance on the “Inside the Green Room” podcast with former Toronto Raptors, now Lakers guard, Danny Green. Hart talked about the heavily reported trade discussions between the Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans at the trade deadline in February.

It seems that two players were untouchable in the trade talks according to Josh. LeBron James (Like duh!) and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

"“You’re going through it and you’re like ‘Alright, man.’ You had no idea. Like, really, it seemed like nobody was untouchable honestly, besides LeBron and KCP. That was the only untouchable pieces. Fortunately for me, my name wasn’t really thrown in there until the last day when basically everyone on the roster was allegedly getting traded. It was just a weird situation because you had no idea.”"

For the record, Caldwell-Pope was eventually included in one of the 753 trade proposals the Lakers reportedly sent the Pelicans, proposals that Lake Show Life knew the Pelicans would never accept. But let’s break down what Hart and many others are wondering about KCP’s status.

The easiest theory to accept is that his agent, Rich Paul, wanted to keep him in Los Angeles with his two other clients, James and Davis. Could that be true? Who knows. It’s the other factors that many people miss that make moving Caldwell-Pope difficult.

Caldwell-Pope signed consecutive one-year deals with the Lakers in free agency. In doing so thanks to the NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement, he had a de facto no-trade clause in his contract.

That clause protects KCP’s “Bird Rights” which he would lose with his next team if traded. In short, Paul and James did not matter in this trade scenario because KCP has to sign off on any trade.

Maybe this situation made KCP’s message clear on leaving L.A.

Now that this discussion has been illustrated, get used to Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. He’s not going anywhere.

Now that Dwight Howard is playing out of his mind, how about JaVale McGee? 

JaVale McGee is playing himself out of the rotation by the game as Dwight Howard is getting the more meaningful minutes at crunch time. After Howard’s dominant performances the last few games ESPECIALLY the destruction of the Spurs front line.

https://twitter.com/Lakers/status/1191177340434317312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1191177340434317312&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Flakeshowlife.com%2F2019%2F11%2F04%2Flos-angeles-lakers-5-lessons-win-vs-san-antonio-spurs%2F

Rumors of McGee being moved might surface. Right now, Howard is bringing energy and rim protection to a Lakers team that is in the top two in three different defensive categories including number one in overall efficiency.

Then there’s the fact that Howard has a near 80% (79.2% to be exact!) field goal percentage. Take a long look at Lakers fans at the leading candidate for NBA Most Improved Player this year.

Here’s the rub. Howard is the big man the Lakers can easily unload and not McGee. Dwight is the one with the non-guaranteed contract that most teams would want for salary cap reasons. That might have been the plan for the Lakers as an option when they signed him in the first place.

Few could have seen Dwight Howard (Lake Show Life did!) play at this level to the point that he would be out playing JaVale McGee, especially if you compare the two players’ production the last few seasons.

So what’s the problem?

McGee has a no-trade clause in his contract. Outside of some major convincing on the Lakers part, he’s not going anywhere unless he wants to. Good luck with that.

Rajon Rondo is supposed to have a big part in the rotation. Did anyone figure out where yet? 

Rajon Rondo has not been seen in a Lakers uniform since the team played the Brooklyn Nets in China. In that game, he actually stunk.

Since then he has been out of the lineup with a calf strain and no one knows when he’ll be back. This is about the most action Lakers fans have seen from Rondo in weeks.

Lakers fans are divided in their feelings about Rondo. He hasn’t played defense since the start of the Obama administration and most feel he can’t shoot. However, the offense overall has been sputtering with LeBron James running the point. A debate that has many talking that long-term will hurt the team’s championship aspirations.

But with Avery Bradley’s offense starting to catch up with his defense, Caruso’s impact in the Lakers winning streak, along with Danny Green’s play, how about the possibility of Rajon Rondo being traded?

PFFT! Please. Two quotes from Frank Vogel and Anthony Davis tells it all.

Vogel from the LA Times before the season.

"“Rajon Rondo’s going to be a different player off the basketball than he’s been in his career,” Vogel said, Jason Kidd as a model of being a non-shooter early in his career … is a great model to be for Rajon,” Vogel said. “He [Rondo] shot 36% from the three-point line the last four years. That’s above average.”"

AD from before the Red Bulletin.

"“I’ve got Rondo back as my point guard — he’s a guy I can count on to get the ball in my sweet spot.”"

Before you start forming the thought of “Who cares?” in your mind, try to recollect; have the Lakers signed AD to that long-term deal yet?

Most fans will want Alex Caruso in the lineup, which may not happen if Rajon Rondo gets minutes. This will upset fans, which will call for a Rajon Rondo trade.

Well, let it go. Rajon Rondo has a “No Trade” clause too. Interesting, huh?

Well, who can the Los Angeles Lakers trade that an NBA GM would want? It will surprise you.

Danny Green and Kyle Kuzma are the only players that can be included in legitimate “Lakers Rumors”. 

Yes, Lakers fans, it’s true. If the Los Angeles Lakers truly want to upgrade their roster via trade, they would probably have to part ways with Danny Green, Kyle Kuzma or both.

According to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, league executives believe Green and Kuzma are the Lakers’ best trade assets. The Lakers reportedly want a wing player or ball-handler in the event Caruso and Rondo take turns throwing up bricks this season. This bears repeating. Both players have big roles on this roster, so Rob Pelinka probably won’t trade either guy.

But with the trade for Anthony Davis, the Lakers have little to offer by way of draft picks and contract restrictions.

"The Lakers also have a real problem in a lack of trade assets. They aren’t permitted to trade any first-round pick, and they don’t have a second-round pick available until 2023. They don’t have many tradable pieces, and three tradable players — Rondo, JaVale McGee and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope — have no-trade clauses. Long story short, they have to play the buyout market, and even then, they currently don’t have a roster spot to sign anyone. Their two biggest trade assets, league executives believe, are Kuzma and Danny Green, but both play important roles."

This brings clarity to why the Lakers are so desperate to see Andre Iguodala get a buyout from Memphis. If he doesn’t get bought out (For reasons, ask Memphis! No clue as to why they won’t let him go!) or he is released and goes to another team (Clippers?) the Lakers will have to weigh options if they want an upgrade.

Kuzma’s recent return from a stress reaction in his foot, hopefully, will fill the Lakers’ expectations of being a reliable wing option for Frank Vogel’s rotation. The best-case scenario for Kuzma and the Lakers is the contribution as a 3-point threat with other intangibles like rebounding and assists. This would be ideal without both LeBron and Davis in the lineup leading the bench.

If he struggles to come back from his injury, his contract is extremely easy to move. Plus with his upside, an opposing GM would be interested to make a deal with options.

Green, meanwhile, is the elite shooter this roster desperately needs. His perimeter gravity will create less-contested opportunities for Davis and LeBron around the rim. Los Angeles can hardly find an upgrade for Green, who’s also a terrific defender. With that being said, Danny Green is the Lakers’ most prized asset to move.

There you have it. On December 15th, 2019, Lakers rumors will start. Many will include Rondo, McGee and KCP. Ignore them. Draft picks? Yes, draft picks can be traded, but the Stepien rule will prevent the Lakers from dealing a first-round pick. They must bank on the buyout market to improve the roster this season.

Pray for Andre Iguodala.