Lakers Rumors: Examining Whispers Surrounding Los Angeles' Backcourt
Sunday’s contest against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers was just another game and another loss for the 2014-15 Los Angeles Lakers. That is now 13 losses in the past 14 tries for one of the NBA’s cornerstone franchises, and things don't appear to be getting much better.
The only thing fans (and the organization as a whole) can do at this point is look ahead toward the future with hopes of brighter days.
Sean Deveney of Sporting News did exactly that when he passed along a couple of rumors regarding the Los Angeles backcourt.
Deveney noted that point guard Jeremy Lin “would make a good backup point guard, and the Lakers would move him if they could get an asset in return, but the market for Lin has been weak.”
Deveney also provided an update on the Phoenix Suns’ Goran Dragic, and the final sentence will likely interest Lakers supporters:
"While there has been nothing serious in terms of deals that have been close, as the Suns' hold on a playoff spot in the West slips away, there is a sense that they'll pull the trigger on something that can bring in the kind of perimeter-shooting big man they lost when Channing Frye left in free agency. Gerald Green (a free agent) is a trade possibility, but Dragic (also a free agent) would net a better return. The Lakers have wanted Dragic all season but don't have much to offer.
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Good luck to the Suns trying to find that missing piece on the current Lakers roster. Still, the fact that Los Angeles has shown interest in Dragic all season is what should catch the eyes of fans moving forward considering he could turn down his $7.5 million player option for 2015-16 this offseason and become a free agent.
Dragic was selected to the All-NBA third team last season and was named the NBA’s Most Improved Player of the Year, so there is likely a solid payday waiting for him if he does turn down that player option.
There is plenty to chew on with both of those rumors from Deveney.
The Lin angle is fairly straight forward for Los Angeles since he has been somewhat of a disappointment with 2.3 turnovers per game to go along with his 10.4 points a night and lackluster defense (opponents are shooting 1.9 percent better overall and 6.1 percent better from downtown than their season averages when Lin guards them, per NBA.com).
If Los Angeles could somehow land any type of asset in return for Lin at the trade deadline that would help the rebuilding process in any way, it would be wise to pull the trigger. It is not exactly going to parlay the 26-year-old into multiple first-round picks, so the Lakers would likely settle for almost anything at this point.
It is safe to say there is a fairly good chance Lin probably won’t be priority No. 1 this offseason considering he will be a free agent at year’s end.
Dragic is the more interesting rumor.
The Suns are currently wrapped up in a heated battle with the New Orleans Pelicans and Oklahoma City Thunder for the eighth and final spot in the daunting Western Conference playoffs and probably won’t trade Dragic unless the absolute right piece is made available.
Sure, the Phoenix backcourt is crowded, but he is still averaging 16.2 points, 4.1 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game as a critical part of the rotation. He can shoot the three (35 percent), attack the lane off the dribble and set up teammates for open looks as part of the high-tempo offense and is second on the team in minutes per game (33.2).
The Lakers may love to get Dragic via trade, but they could always target him in free agency without having to give anything up in terms of swapping directly with the Suns like they would in a trade scenario. Plus, having Dragic on the roster for the rest of this season would hurt Los Angeles’ chances at getting a top-five draft pick and holding onto its first-rounder.
Interestingly, the Lakers’ Nick Young mentioned the possibility of playing with Dragic after a game against the Suns, via Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News: “I told Goran Dragic on the court, ‘You might be my teammate next year. I’ll talk to Marc (Gasol). Me and him are cool. Kevin Love, I’ll talk to him.”
It is not that difficult to envision a quick turnaround as early as next season for the Lakers if all the cards fell into the right place.
Julius Randle and Kobe Bryant would ideally be healthy and return to the lineup, a top-five draft pick could be on the roster and Dragic could help run the show from the backcourt alongside Bryant.
Bryant and Dragic would make an interesting pairing because Dragic could drain the open look from the outside when defenders collapse on Bryant or set Black Mamba up with penetration and kick-out passes.
Ultimately, a backcourt that features the defending Most Improved Player of the Year and a healthy Bryant sounds a lot better than one relying on Lin and Young. The future is all about hope, and that is all Lakers fans can do at this point when rumors like this roll around.
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