The Los Angeles Lakers have lost a bit of the luster that the team had after defeating the Milwaukee Bucks last Friday. Los Angeles continued the road trip with losses on back-to-back days to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors. The team plays the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday.
While the team has dropped two games in a row, the rumors and news around the direction of the franchise have been running rampant. December 15 — which is when the Lakers can trade players they acquired in the offseason — is right around the corner and has been responsible for the uptick in trade discussion.
Trade talks as well as the health of the team’s star players are at the center of Friday’s news roundup ahead of the team’s game in Philly.
Lakers news:
- Anthony Davis (illness), LeBron James (ankle) and Patrick Beverley (knee) are all “day-to-day” for the rest of the road trip. The road trip ends on Sunday against the Detroit Pistons before returning home to host the Boston Celtics on Tuesday.
- Juan Toscano-Anderson will miss approximately two weeks until his right ankle sprain can be re-evaluated. Toscano-Anderson is averaging 2.2 points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game this season.
- The Lakers and New York Knicks reportedly touched base on a three-team trade involving Cam Reddish.
- The Los Angeles Lakers reportedly will not trade both first round-picks (which is what it would take to trade Russell Westbrook) unless they can get an all-star in return.
- Wrestling icon Ric Flair called LeBron James the greatest of all time, which warranted a response from James on Twitter.
News from around the NBA:
- After spending months in Russia, WNBA star Brittney Griner is returning to the United States after President Biden agreed to release Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
- Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray will be out of action for at least two weeks with an ankle injury. The Lakers play the Hawks in three weeks on December 30.
- The New Orleans Pelicans (16-8) obtained sole possession of first place in the Western Conference on Thursday. The Pelicans have not been in first place in December or later since the 2007-08 season.
Good for the Pelicans but Lakers fans better hope that the purple and gold can turn the season around and get close to that no. 1 spot in the West. At the time of writing, the Lakers are in 13th and are two games out of being a play-in team.
Knicks have the best non-Russell Westbrook trade for the Lakers to make
The Los Angeles Lakers are looking to make a trade that does not include Russell Westbrook. The New York Knicks have the best offer to make to LA.