Lakers Rumors: Examining Trade Whispers Surrounding Los Angeles
The Los Angeles Lakers possess a bevy of promising young talent in Jordan Clarkson, Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle and D'Angelo Russell, but the team could deal some veterans in an attempt to bolster its future before the Feb. 23 trade deadline.
The winningest franchise in NBA history is once again mired in a tough season, as it sits near the bottom of the Western Conference. But Los Angeles general manager Mitch Kupchak said last week that his office is being aggressive in trying to shake up the roster, per Tania Ganguli and Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times:
"We are active, yes. We're active every year. ... Quite frankly compared to the last three or four years, we have a lot of talent on this roster that I think a lot of people have interest in — varying levels of interest. I would think there's more meaningful discussions this year than there have been the last two or three years.
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Recent reports have backed up Kupchak's words, which means the Lakers could make some noise by Thursday. Let's take a look at the buzz surrounding Los Angeles and what it means for the team moving forward.
Lou Williams on the Move?
Despite logging just one start, Lou Williams has arguably been the team's best player this season.
He leads the Lakers with 18.6 points per game while averaging 24.2 minutes, which is the seventh-most on the team. With Williams being 30 years old on a team looking to focus on its youth movement, the guard is reportedly being shopped by Los Angeles, per Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype.
One team has emerged as a Williams suitor, as The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Saturday that the Washington Wizards are interested in bolstering their backcourt with the Lakers guard.
Wojnarowski mentioned that Washington, which looks to be among the top threats to challenge the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference, would consider shipping out first-round picks in upcoming drafts in order to load up for a playoff run. This matches well with what Los Angeles is trying to do, as the Lakers could turn Williams into another young big man to complement its young core of guards and smaller forwards.
Williams' friendly contract also increases Los Angeles' leverage in trade talks. The guard is making a reasonable $7 million for this season and the next, making his scoring ability a major bargain. Look at what guards are making more or the same this season, none of whom can score like Williams:
| Iman Shumpert | $10 Million | 26 | 25.4 | 7.8 |
| Matthew Dellavedova | $9.6 Million | 26 | 26.5 | 7.6 |
| Gerald Henderson | $9 Million | 29 | 24.0 | 9.7 |
| Sergio Rodriguez | $8 Million | 30 | 22.7 | 8.1 |
| Corey Brewer | $7.6 Million | 30 | 15.9 | 4.2 |
| Jeremy Lamb | $7 Million | 24 | 17.1 | 9.3 |
The Wizards would welcome Williams and make him a primary option off the bench. The team already has one of the league's best backcourts with Bradley Beal and John Wall, but its depth beyond that is not championship-caliber.
Marcus Thornton, who averages 6.6 points per game, is the team's top reserve guard, along with Trey Burke, who averages 5.0 points per game. Washington also has to play forward Kelly Oubre Jr. out of position at times to make up for a lack of depth. Injecting Williams' scoring and energy off the bench would instantly boost this team's offensive ceiling and take some pressure off its two starting guards.
Williams would not be able to take as many shots as he does in Los Angeles, as his 12.7 field-goal attempts per game is tied for the team lead. Still, Williams playing around 20 minutes a night would keep Washington competitive offensively while Beal and Wall rest. Him leaving would also give the Lakers more future assets, so this seems to be a winning deal for each franchise.
Lakers Inquired About DeMarcus Cousins
The Sacramento Kings dropped a bombshell on the NBA world just hours after the NBA All Star Game concluded, trading embattled superstar center DeMarcus Cousins to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for Buddy Hield, future draft picks, Langston Galloway and Tyreke Evans.
According to ESPN.com's Ramona Shelburne, the Lakers, long considered a potential landing spot for Cousins, engaged in talks for the big man on Sunday before those discussions then broke off.
A potential turnoff for Los Angeles may have been the notion that Cousins could opt against re-signing with any team that trades for him, which his agent, Jarinn Akana, relayed to ESPN.com's Marc Stein:
Shelburne's report shows that Kupchak and his staff are still interested in making a splash by drawing a superstar to Los Angeles. But based on what the Pelicans gave up, it also shows that the Lakers are resistant to doing so at the cost of their young players.
Acquiring Cousins likely would have sent a player like Clarkson, Ingram or Randle to Sacramento in addition to a lottery pick and potentially a project prospect like Ivica Zubac. Giving all of that away just to have Cousins potentially walk away in free agency at the end of the year would set Los Angeles back a few years.
The Lakers are always a destination location in free agency anyway, so there is a chance Cousins could still end up in purple and gold. Kupchak seems to be practicing prudence with his plethora of promising players, and it appears his patience paid off in this instance.
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