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Why the Los Angeles Lakers should pursue a trade for Nemanja Bjelica

By Jason Reed

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - AUGUST 13: Nemanja Bjelica #88 of the Sacramento Kings moves the ball against Talen Horton-Tucker #5 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the third quarter at The Field House at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 13, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - AUGUST 13: Nemanja Bjelica #88 of the Sacramento Kings moves the ball against Talen Horton-Tucker #5 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the third quarter at The Field House at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 13, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers
(Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers /

The Los Angeles Lakers are currently in second place in the Western Conference and are still the favorites to win the NBA Championship with a healthy team. However, there is more challenges ahead that may not have been expected before the season.

The Brooklyn Nets are even better than they were when the season started with the addition of James Harden, which has worked quite nice for the team thus far. The Philadelphia 76ers are also playing fantastic basketball and are a tough matchup for the Lakers.

That is assuming that they even make the NBA Finals. The Lakers certainly have a tough path to the finals as both the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Clippers are playing great basketball this season.

All in all, the Lakers know the road to a championship is going to be tough and the front office is going to make improvements wherever they can. One of those improvements could be via Nemanja Bjelica, who the Los Angeles Lakers should be pursuing a trade for.

Here is why.

1. Nemanja Bjelica has an easy contract for the Los Angeles Lakers to acquire

The Los Angeles Lakers are kind of limited with who the team can bring in via trade. The Lakers do not have that valuable “in-between” contract that is valuable to include in a trade for a bigger asset. The contracts that could fit that description, belonging to Dennis Schroder and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, are not going anywhere.

Any trade is going to have to be for a player who has an acquirable contract and Bjelica has just that. Bjelica is on an expiring contract with a salary of $7 million this season. That is more than low enough for the Lakers to string together some assets in order to make the trade possible.

The first step in a trade is making sure the trade is even in the realm of possibility. This trade certainly is, and there are even more reasons for the Lakers to pursue Bjelica.

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