Lakers rumors: Should Los Angeles trade for Josh Richardson?

The Los Angeles Lakers have two days to make a trade ahead of the Feb. 10 deadline. The rumors are multiplying as Thursday draws near and Los Angeles needs to make a splash. Most recently, the Lakers have been linked to Boston’s Josh Richardson.

The veteran wing has drawn a lot of attention from teams around the league and deservedly so. Richardson has been one of the more consistent players for the Celtics, which is what the team was hoping for after they acquired him from Dallas.

Richardson has emerged as a trade asset. If he doesn’t get traded, he’ll continue to make an impact on the Celtics as they hope to work their way up in the standings. However, it doesn’t seem like he’ll be with Boston for much longer due to the amount of interest that he’s garnered.

According to Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer, the Lakers are the latest team to have inquired about Richardson.

Should the Los Angeles Lakers be interested in trading for Josh Richardson?

Los Angeles inquired about a potential trade for the 28-year-old and according to Brian Robb, a Celtics beat reporter for MassLive, the Lakers reportedly offered Talen Horton-Tucker and a future draft pick in exchange for Richardson.

Robb wrote:

"“Whether the allure of an unprotected first-round pick down the road (2026 is the earliest the Lakers could trade theirs due to previous trades) is enticing enough for Boston to take on Horton-Tucker’s contract is the bigger question.”"

According to another source, the call didn’t gain much traction.

Nonetheless, Richardson would be a good option for the Lakers. He’s averaging 9.9 points in the 43 games that he’s played in and is shooting 44.4% from the field and 40% from the 3-point line.

In a 113-107 over Charlotte on Feb. 2, he finished with 23 points in 31 minutes. The guard was 8-of-12 from the field and 6-of-8 from three. He’s provided Boston with quality minutes off the bench.

Richardson was traded to the Celtics for Moses Brown last July. Before he left the Mavericks, he opted into his player option and shortly after arriving in Boston, he agreed to a one-year extension. He’s making $11.6 million this season and is set to make $12.2 million next year.

To be honest, Richardson is the versatile 3-and-D wing that the Lakers thought that they were getting when they signed Kent Bazemore ahead of the season. Bazemore is averaging 3.7 points and is shooting 32.8% from the field and 35.4% from the 3-point line in the 31 games that he’s played in.

Los Angeles could use a shooter that can enter the game and knock down a couple of 3-pointers and Richardson can do that.

Richardson would be an upgrade and he’d provide a boost off the bench. Whether or not the below .500 Lakers trade for Richardson or not, the fate of their season relies on what’s done over the next 48 hours.