The Los Angeles Lakers are a team that needs to improve and that naturally makes them one of the most talked-about teams during the trade deadline. Any trade target that hits the market is going to be tied to the Lakers one way or another.
A new name was potentially added to the trade market in Sacramento’s Richaun Holmes. According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, Holmes was involved in trade talks once again. This is not the first time his name has floated on the trade market.
Los Angeles and Sacramento notoriously do not make many trades with each other but this is a new era where the California rivalry is not as strong. If there is a trade that makes sense for both parties they aren’t going to not do it because of some old rivalry.
But is there a trade that makes sense for both parties? That is the most important question to ask.
Does Richaun Holmes make sense as a trade target for the Lakers?
Richaun Holmes is a backup big-caliber player who has put together some solid seasons in his NBA career. Two years ago, Holmes averaged 14.2 points and 8.3 rebounds per game in 61 games with the Kings. That earned him a four-year, $46.5 million contract with Sacramento.
Holmes has since fallen out of Sacramento’s rotation, however, as he is averaging just nine minutes per game. With that in mind and the fact that he has multiple years under contract, he does not have much trade value for the Kings.
In fact, this would be a trade package in which the Lakers would get assets with Holmes. The Kings likely just want his contract off the books and if they could get an expiring contract like Patrick Beverley that would be great. It would take a second-round pick (or two) for the Lakers to accept this deal.
If Holmes offered the Lakers more then this would be a no-brainer for the team. They would be getting a quality big for multiple years and would be getting assets with him as well. That is how you take a long-term approach to this trade deadline.
The problem is, though, that he would not offer much to the Lakers. While the best version of Holmes is exciting, he is not much different from Wenyen Gabriel. Why trade for someone who is making $12 million next season when you have a similar player on the minimum already?
The Lakers have cap space for next summer but they have to be smart with that cap space. Holmes would not eat the entire cap but he would be a big overpay for a position that is not that big of a need for LA.
So while he is a recognizable name that is more than affordable, he still does not make sense as a Lakers trade target because of the exact same reason why the Kings want to trade him in the first place.
Lakers trade rumors: Fact or fiction on 3 linked trade targets
The Los Angeles Lakers trade rumors are starting to grow so we wanted to play fact or fiction regarding three players with ties to LA.
If the Lakers were a complete tanking team with no title aspirations then it would make a lot of sense. As a team that wants to contend in the near future, it is a hard no.