Lakers Trade Rumors: Magic's Terrence Ross Viewed as 'Realistic' Deadline Target

The 26-28 Los Angeles Lakers, who sit ninth in the Western Conference, are one of the top teams to watch as Thursday's NBA trade deadline appears.

Orlando Magic wing Terrence Ross is one name to keep an eye on.

In a Los Angeles Times NBA roundtable with Broderick Turner and Andrew Greif, Dan Woike reported that Ross is "a more realistic target" at the Thursday trade deadline for the Lakers.

"A more realistic target, sources said, would be Orlando’s Terrence Ross," per Woike. 

"To get him, the Lakers would need to include [Talen] Horton-Tucker and maybe that first-round pick and be willing to take on a player who has seen his efficiency diminish over the last three seasons, never a good sign for the kind of shooter Ross is purported to be."

Woike noted that acquiring Ross would be more realistic than other potential targets like Boston Celtics wing Josh Richarson and Toronto Raptors guard Gary Trent Jr., especially with both of those teams on big win streaks of late.

Ross, 31, is averaging 11.1 points on 40.7 percent shooting (31.3 percent from three-point range) in 24.4 minutes per game for the 12-43 Magic, who have the NBA's worst record.

The rebuilding Magic are playing out the string of a season that will see them on the outside looking into the playoff picture, and it'll probably behoove them to trade some or all of their veteran players to playoff-contending teams who can use more pieces to their rotation.

Ross is one of those players. On the downside, his efficiency numbers have notably taken a downturn, with his 31.3 percent three-point rate a career-worst mark.

He hasn't been as much of a focal point in this year's Magic offense as in years past, with his minutes and field-goal attempts also going down.

Ross's shooting numbers have also steadily gone down since 2018-19, when he had 15.1 points per game and shot 38.3 percent from three-point range.

However, a fresh start elsewhere could be a catalyst toward greater success.

For the Lakers, adding another veteran scorer off the bench can only help the second unit and ease some of the burden off LeBron James and Anthony Davis, especially if one or the other is out with injury.

At this juncture, L.A. will almost certainly qualify for the play-in tournament, but the Lakers would obviously like to finish top six in the Western Conference and hope to go on a late-season surge to try and meet its championship aspirations.

Ross can definitely help, and he's a name to watch as Thursday's 3 p.m. ET deadline nears.