Los Angeles Lakers: 2 potential trades for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

2. The Los Angeles Lakers snag two players from the Sacramento Kings

One of the most talked-about potential buyout signings for the Los Angeles Lakers is Hassan Whiteside, although there is no guarantee that Whitside is even bought out by the Sacramento Kings.

In this trade, the Lakers would be assuring that Whiteside is coming to Los Angeles and would also be adding a very valuable player to the rotation as well.

Both Whiteside and Bjelica are on expiring contracts with Bjelica being one of the biggest names to watch at the deadline. While Bjelica is a prime trade target, his value is actually not that high. The Kings reportedly are looking for a second-round pick in return for Bjelica — that is an easy price to pay.

In this package, the Kings are getting a player that they could either keep around for several years in KCP or could flip for more assets to a contender either now or in the offseason. They are also getting a young center in Cacok for half a season of a guy that they signed for the league minimum.

This not only fixes the money problem for the Los Angeles Lakers but makes the team much better as well. Whiteside is exactly what the team needs in a second center and Bjelica adds a nice scoring presence to the bench for LA.

He is not a direct replacement for KCP but with the versatility in the rotation, the Lakers could certainly make it work. Bjelica is not a great defensive player but he can certainly hold his own, so there are no concerns in that regard.

Bjelica’s play has been poor over the past few weeks and it has really hurt his average but he still pieced together three straight seasons with a 40% field-goal percentage from beyond the arc. It would likely be a lateral move from KCP to Bjelica and the guarantee of getting Whiteside makes it worth it.