Lakers Trade Rumors: Buzz Surrounding Brandon Ingram, Lou Williams and More
The Los Angeles Lakers should be sellers leading up to Thursday's NBA trade deadline. The rebuilding franchise is looking to solidify its young core and that often means giving away established veterans for unproven pieces.
Per the Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski, Los Angeles acted in opposition to its seller position Sunday by engaging in talks for star center DeMarcus Cousins. Cousins was eventually traded from the Sacramento Kings to the New Orleans Pelicans, according to Wojnarowski.
There are still some other rumors swirling in Tinseltown, though. Let's check in with a few different trade situations surrounding the Lakers.
Brandon Ingram
The consensus on Brandon Ingram was that he could provide immediate value on the offensive end of the floor as a rookie. The No. 2 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft was supposed to use his length, shooting touch and scoring instincts to vie for Rookie of the Year honors.
Ingram has been a disappointment thus far, scoring just 8.1 points in 27.7 minutes per game while shooting 36.3 percent from the field, 30.4 percent from three-point range and 65.5 percent from the line.
However, a report from Wojnarowski suggests Los Angeles still has plenty of hope for its 19-year-old forward:
Now, Wojnarowski didn't report the exact offers both teams brought to the table, but it's notable that the Lakers wouldn't include Ingram in a deal that would bring them arguably the best big man in the NBA.
It's absolutely way too early to slap the "bust" label on the lanky Ingram, who is still growing into his body and shows flashes of being an excellent defender, passer and scorer. Thankfully, the Lakers organization feels the same way.
Lou Williams
If the Lakers had a better record, most people would probably have Lou Williams as their Sixth Man of the Year thus far. The 30-year-old combo guard is averaging a career-high 18.6 points per game while posting an excellent 60.9 true-shooting percentage, per Basketball-Reference.com.
Williams' trade value has never been higher. He's a perfect fit for teams who need bench scoring because he's used to a reserve role and has learned to thrive in it. HoopsHype's Alex Kennedy reported last week that the Lakers have indeed put their stud sixth man on the trade block.
In a trade deadline video preview with The Vertical's Chris Mannix, Wojnarowski brought up the Washington Wizards as one of Williams' suitors. Honi Ahmadian of Lakers Outsiders transcribed the Wojnarowski's thoughts on the Wizards:
"They gotta improve their bench. They feel like if there’s a wing player that they can get in the trade market—Lou Williams from the Lakers, they have interest in, Bojan Bogdanovic with the Nets. Washington has shown an inclination to give up a future draft pick—a first round pick—potentially even in this draft to get at a veteran who may even turn out to be a rental for them.
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It makes sense for the Lakers to dangle Lou Williams as trade bait over the next few days. When a young, rebuilding team is looking to build around its youth but has an older player who can impact a playoff race, that's an opportunity for a mutually beneficial swap.
If the Lakers could fetch the Wizards' 2017 first-round pick for Williams, that would be a solid deal for both squads. Los Angeles wants more young prospects on a similar timeline for its rebuild, while Washington needs some sort of punch off the bench.
Will the Lakers Be Players at the Deadline?
Maybe in slight contrast to other reports such as the ones surrounding Williams, Basketball Insiders' Steve Kyler reported last Tuesday that the Lakers "may not be very big traders at the deadline."
Kyler said his sources cited Lakers advisor Magic Johnson's influence on the team as a reason for this. Since many people close to the situation believe Johnson could be taking on a bigger role in the organization as early as this summer, team management may be hesitant to go for any major deals.
Kyler did also clarify that Los Angeles would be willing to trade if it were a "'no-brainer' deal aimed at the future," so maybe swapping Williams for younger pieces would qualify.
Overall, this doesn't tell us too much. Even though the Lakers probably won't be "big traders," that doesn't mean they aren't going to make a smaller deal that will help continue their rebuilding process.
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