The Los Angeles Lakers should be scouring the market for trade options this season, as the deadline is just over a week away. And if one of the league’s latest rumors comes true, they could have a new team to call up. According to Marc Stein of The Stein Line, the New York Knicks are interested in trading for Portland Trail Blazers guard Jrue Holiday:
“Another concept that keeps coming up: Rumbles that the Knicks have explored pathways to try to acquire Portland's Jrue Holiday,” Stein wrote. “There are at least two clear reasons why New York would have interest in a player who helped both Milwaukee and Boston win championships this decade: 1) The presumption that acquiring Holiday — if there's a way — would make the Knicks an even more attractive destination to Holiday's former Bucks teammate Antetokounmpo; 2) New York is believed to hold a longstanding fondness for Holiday as a potential backcourt complement to Jalen Brunson.”
If that rumor comes to fruition, the Lakers should be calling up the Blazers about a potential trade for Josh Hart or Mitchell Robinson.
Lakers could target the remnants of a Knicks Jrue Holiday trade
There’s obviously no guarantee that both Hart and Robinson would be in a potential Knicks trade for Holiday, but it seems very likely, based on the contracts New York currently has on its roster.
In order to match Holiday’s $32.4 million in a trade, they would have to send out one of their larger contracts or a combination of Hart and Robinson. And it doesn’t seem likely that the Knicks would want to trade Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, or OG Anunoby in a Holiday deal.
Hart and Robinson could both be ideal fits with the Lakers, and LA has the contracts to make a deal happen (if they are willing to attach draft capital in a trade).
Adding Hart’s defense, rebounding, playmaking, and general glue-guy abilities to the Lakers’ lineup would be perfect next to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
As for Robinson, his rebounding would give the Lakers a much better center option off the bench than they currently have.
Adding either one of the current Knicks in a potential trade would be a massive win for the Lakers, should New York choose to ship them out.
Holiday would be a great fit in New York, but it could end up being a major mistake for the Knicks to give up Hart and Robinson, because they could help another team get much, much better.
And if Holiday doesn’t work out, their cap situation will be a complete disaster.