Los Angeles Lakers: 2 Houston Rockets players to try and trade for

Lakers trade target: Sterling Brown

This would not be a trade that moves the needle really for the Los Angeles Lakers. However, if the buyout market is looking sparse and the team is unable to add that extra late-season depth that every title-contending team adds then I would not be shocked to see them make a move like this.

Sterling Brown is a backend rotation wing that would provide above-average defense and a decent-enough three-point shot. Essentially, if Kuzma is not becoming the wing defender that the team wants him to become, but they don’t want to move on from him, then someone like Brown could be added for that defensive depth.

That is how the Milwaukee Bucks used him last season in his 14.8 minutes per game. According to Basketball-Index, Brown posted a Defensive Player Impact Plus-Minus (D-PIPM) of 0.42. For comparison’s sake, Kuzma posted a -0.97.

The best part of this trade is that the Los Angeles Lakers could trade very little to get Brown. Something like the trade below could be pulled off.

It is important to note that this trade would have to happen two months after Brown signed his new deal with the Rockets.

The Rockets are not going to get much for a player that they just signed to the league minimum and the Lakers could elevate one of their two-way players and package that with a second-round pick to get Brown.

Heck, if McKinnie does not pan out then the team could even flip just McKinnie and the second-round pick. This is better for Houston than just letting him play out his contract on a non-playoff team and is certainly better than buying him out for nothing.

It is a small trade but is one that would certainly still benefit the Los Angeles Lakers. Sometimes, it is the under-the-radar acquisitions that surprise us and make a big difference.

Just ask Dwight Howard.