1 Los Angeles Lakers trade target at every position to consider
By Jason Reed
Center: Kelly Olynyk, Utah Jazz
If the Los Angeles Lakers are going to add a center at the deadline it is going to be a stretch five. The dream scenario for every Lakers fan over the last few months has been Myles Turner but it is clear that Turner is not coming to LA.
Kelly Olynyk could be a nice consolation prize for the Lakers, though. Olynyk has played well for the Utah Jazz this season and has shown off his range from beyond the arc. The 6-11 big man is shooting 41.3% from beyond the arc in 3.5 attempts per game this season.
Adding a floor-spacing big that can play either next to Anthony Davis or as the sole five on the floor would be huge for the Lakers. Suddenly, Los Angeles would not have to run these tiny lineups just because they need to have some shooting on the floor.
The Lakers cannot trade Patrick Beverley back to Utah because that is where they acquired him from, so the team would have to get creative. To make the money work, the Lakers would have to package Lonnie Walker IV, Damian Jones and Juan Toscano-Anderson (with a second-round pick).
Lakers trade rumors: Would LA offer this kind of package for Kelly Olynyk?
This certainly is not the best possible trade Los Angeles could try and make before the deadline but if it came down to it, the team should be willing to make this trade. Walker is a popular name among Lakers fans but in reality, the team has been better with him off the floor.
We also could have just included Nerlens Noel as the center in this article because of the previously mentioned Westbrook trade package to Detroit, so keep that in mind as well.