Lakers Trade Rumors: Breaking Down Buzz on Jeremy Lin, Goran Dragic and More
For a team that has long been one of the marquee franchises in all of sports but presently owns a 13-40 record, this is one of the most important trade deadlines in Los Angeles Lakers history.
The team is stuck in one of the worst positions possible. The Lakers have an ownership group that can't understand why free agents aren't lining up to play in Los Angeles—at least they weren't last summer. Their roster is built around a player who used to be the league's best but now can't stay healthy as age has taken its toll.
Eventually, one would assume that things will turn around because this franchise and the Lakers' brand still means a lot to many people.
This deadline is about setting the wheels in motion for what may happen over the summer and in the coming years.
The Lakers don't need to do anything dramatic, but there are certainly many options for the team to explore over the next 20-plus hours. Here is a dive into what those may be.
Jeremy Lin to Any Bidder?
There was a time when Jeremy Lin was one of the NBA's biggest stars. That was a fun month for him and the New York Knicks, but the years since have not been kind to the 26-year-old guard.
He's not shooting or passing well and defense has never been a strength, but other than that, it's been great!
With Lin in the final year of his contract, the Lakers don't have to move him unless they want instant salary relief.
That doesn't mean the Lakers haven't been trying to find a taker for Lin, as Sean Deveney of Sporting News reported in early February. "(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 wrote.
One issue seems to be a divide between Lin and head coach Byron Scott over what has been the reason behind the point guard's struggles, via Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.
"There are adjustments that could've been made everywhere from everybody's standpoint," Lin said. "I don't know what they are right now. But if I sat down and thought about it for a long time, I could come up with some stuff."
Medina wrote that Scott struggled after going from "traditional and fast-paced systems" to a more set system in Los Angeles.
Another problem for the Lakers in trying to deal Lin is salary. He's making $14.9 million this season with a cap hit of nearly $8.4 million, per Spotrac. Even with those numbers cut in half since the year is half-over, that's still a substantial amount of money to give up for a backup point guard.
Even though ownership would love to get out from under Lin's contract, barring a late miracle, he will finish out this season in Los Angeles before hitting free agency with a chance to pick his next spot.
The Goran Dragic Situation
The biggest story for the Lakers is Goran Dragic. He is exactly the kind of player this franchise needs as a young, versatile guard who excels at the point and can score.
Fortunately for Los Angeles, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reports Dragic wants out of Phoenix and has the Lakers on his short wish list.
"After informing the Phoenix Suns that Goran Dragic won't re-sign an extension this summer, agent Bill Duffy delivered the Phoenix Suns a list of preferred trade destinations that includes the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks and Miami Heat, league sources told Yahoo Sports," he wrote.
However, there is a problem Dragic has in his quest to get away from the Suns. He's set to become a free agent this summer, and since teams now know Phoenix won't be able to retain him, there's no negotiating leverage.
In other words, the Suns are going to have a certain price on Dragic—as they should because he's a talented player—that a team like the Lakers should be reluctant to meet knowing they can try to sign him without having to give up future assets.
One reason a team like the Lakers makes a lot of sense for Dragic, strictly as a way to maximize his value, is the lack of other current options on the roster.
Neil Payne of FiveThirtyEight broke down what made Dragic one of the best guards in the NBA when he was at his peak:
"When Dragic was at his best — he ranked as the NBA’s ninth-best guard by value over replacement player (VORP) between 2011-12 and 2013-14 — he had the ball in his hands a lot, penetrating and dishing. But a full season alongside Bledsoe (the duo only suited up for 38 games together in 2013-14) and the addition of Thomas have taken a toll on Dragic’s stats. His assist percentage is 19.5 percent this season, down from 28.1 percent a season ago and a high of 35.7 percent in 2012-13; his free-throw attempt rate is down to .191 from .381 last year; his true shooting percentage is down to .573 from .604 last season.
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The only other player on the Lakers who can command the ball is Kobe Bryant, who isn't coming back until next season. Dragic would make a nice midseason addition as he gets used to the system and environment. Then Kupchak can attempt to re-sign him in the offseason.
Based on the teams Wojnarowski listed as potential destinations for Dragic in his report, which also include Houston and Indiana, the only one with a sense of urgency is the Rockets. They are a legitimate playoff threat in the West.
Miami might make the postseason in the East, but as a seventh or eighth seed, it won't be around long.
The Pacers are fascinating despite their 21-33 record. They are only two games behind Charlotte and Miami in the playoff race with injured star Paul George telling ProBasketballTalk's Kurt Helin that he plans to return in March. Point guard has been their weak spot for years, so Dragic would certainly fit in.
If Indiana could pair George with Dragic down the stretch, that team wouldn't look like the typical No. 7 or 8 seed in the Eastern Conference.
All of this is to say that despite Dragic's interest, it's hard to see why the Lakers would trade for a player they can negotiate with in the offseason.
That doesn't even take into account how foolish it would be for the Lakers to add a talent who can help win games right now when this franchise needs to be focused on getting as many pingpong balls for the lottery as possible to avoid having a first-round pick transfer to Phoenix from the Steve Nash trade.
The Miles Plumlee Fascination
Speaking of the Suns, one name the Lakers reportedly have their eye on is Miles Plumlee. He's not in the same vicinity talent-wise as Dragic, but he does have value because he's a cheap center who can come off the bench.
According to Sam Amick of USA Today, the Lakers have shared interest in Plumlee with the New York Knicks:
This is an instance where it would be okay for the Lakers to make a deal at the deadline and take on money because Plumlee isn't good enough to help a team win on his own and is signed for the next two years at the total cost of $5.2 million, per Spotrac.
A problem in this scenario, per ESPN's Marc Stein, is the Suns understand that Plumlee on his own won't net much of a return, so they could be going for a bigger play:
Under that scenario, the Lakers should balk at a trade.
They can find a backup center in the offseason, though one who may cost more than Plumlee, without having to give up all of the assets it would require to satisfy Phoenix's needs in a deal for Dragic.
As long as the Lakers have Jordan Hill, who is having a breakout season with 12.3 points and eight assists per game and is signed through next season, they are better positioned than a lot of teams around the league at center.
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