With less than a month away from the NBA trade deadline, Los Angeles Lakers fans are coming up with various ways that the team can improve to make a title. Los Angeles has shown legitimate potential this season and with the right additions could actually make some noise in a wide-open Western Conference.
The problem for the Lakers is that they don’t have many assets that they can trade and the market right now is extremely bloated. This could create a stagnant trade market in which the Lakers simply cannot get a deal done.
However, the team still has specific targets that they might be honing in on. Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report keeps an in-depth tracker of every potential trade target for all 30 NBA teams and has some interesting names for the Lakers.
Are these Lakers trade targets realistic?
There are three names attached to the Lakers and while the team undoubtedly has an interest in the idea of these players coming to Los Angeles, they may not be totally realistic. Thus, it is time to determine whether these targets are fact or fiction.
Can the Lakers trade for Bojan Bogdanovic?
Bojan Bogdanovic would be absolutely fantastic on the Los Angeles Lakers. He is exactly the type of scoring wing that can knock down shots that this team needs. Bogdanovic is probably the role player that would move the needle the most for the Lakers.
That being said, the price to obtain him is simply too much. It is going to take some serious draft capital to get Bogdanovic and the Lakers reportedly thought the cost of Patrick Beverley, Kendrick Nunn and a first-round pick was too high.
The team might hope that his price decreases if there is a lack of interest but that is not going to happen. Even if there is a lack of interest, he is under contract for two more years so the Pistons do not have to trade him right now.
As great as it would be, Los Angeles should rightfully pass on paying this much for a role player.
VERDICT: FICTION
Can the Lakers trade for Buddy Hield?
Buddy Hield has been tied to the Los Angeles Lakers longer than he has been a member of the Indiana Pacers. Back before the team made the silly decision to trade for Russell Westbrook, it appeared that Rob Pelinka was gearing up to make a trade for his former client in Hield.
That ultimately did not happen and Hield was eventually lumped into the Domantas Sabonis trade with the Pacers later that season. Fast forward to this previous summer and the most talked-about trade package in the entire NBA was a Westbrook for Hield and Myles Turner package.
That did not happen and now it seems like that ship has completely sailed. The Pacers have been far better than anyone could have expected this season and are pivoting to potentially being buyers. Even if they do not buy, they are certainly not going to sell.
Plus, it would be hard to make this trade work if it was not part of a bigger Westbrook deal. The team could package Beverley, Nunn and other contracts to get Hield alone but it would take a first-round pick to do so. If the Lakers didn’t want to trade two picks for Hield and Turner they won’t trade just one for Hield.
Instead, the Lakers have to turn their focus on finding a discount Hield to go along with the discount Myles Turner that is already on the roster (Thomas Bryant). Luckily, the team does have an intriguing option.
VERDICT: FICTION
Can the Lakers trade for Doug McDermott?
Doug McDermott is not only the most realistic trade target on this list for the Los Angeles Lakers but might be the most realistic trade target in the entire league. All the stars are aligning for McDermott to don the purple and gold as it actually makes sense for both parties involved.
First of all, McDermott is the type of role player that the Lakers are going to be interested in targeting. While he is rather one-dimensional, that one dimension is something that the Lakers seriously lack: three-point shooting. Only 10 active players in the entire league have a better career three-point percentage with at least 1900 attempts.
As far as this season is concerned, McDermott is shooting 42.3% in 4.5 attempts per game. That would make him the best shooter on the Lakers and it is not even close.
San Antonio has plenty of reason to trade McDermott as well. They are a tanking team that is trying to get a top pick and allow the young players to play. Moving McDermott helps accomplish that feat.
Not only that but McDermott is owed another $13.75 million next season. That is not a huge number but is it significant and hurts his trade value. Most teams would ask for assets with McDermott since he is one-dimensional and is making that much. The Lakers are a team that won’t.
We see this kind of trade all the time. One team trades a role player that has one more year under contract that they want to get off the books for an expiring role player and a second-round pick. McDermott for Beverley and the Bulls’ 2023 second. Call it in.
VERDICT: FACT
Lakers rumors: Knicks lower asking price for Cam Reddish trade
Cam Reddish has long been in the Los Angeles Lakers rumors mill and a trade seems more likely than ever with the Knicks lowering the asking price.