Getty Rob Pelinka & Frank Vogel of the Los Angeles Lakers.
It doesn’t like the plan is for the Los Angeles Lakers to sit out the trade deadline anymore. LeBron James suffering a high ankle sprain certainly changed things. He may not be out for the season but he could miss substantial time.
This could lead to the Lakers getting desperate and try to add a star to hold down the fort while the team’s superstars get healthy. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski dropped a pretty big nugget on Wednesday when he reported that Los Angeles could be interested in acquiring Toronto Raptors star Kyle Lowry.
Though he’s going to be a free agent at the end of the season, the six-time All-Star could require a decent amount in a trade. According to Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer, the Lakers could be willing to deal a few of their top players.
Of note regarding the Kyle Lowry-Lakers rumors: It seems Los Angeles became open to discussing all of Dennis Schroder, Montrezl Harrell and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope with rival teams as of Monday night, and that chatter has not since quieted among league executives.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Montrezl Harrell have been talked about in trade rumors recently but Dennis Schroder getting added to the list is surprising. The Lakers traded for him last offseason and there’s been talk about the two sides signing a big contract extension. It’ll be interesting to see if Los Angeles actually has any interest in trading Schroder or if they’re just entertaining the idea.
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Lakers Won’t Trade Schroder for Lowry
When the Lakers traded for Schroder, the plan was likely to keep him for the long term. So far, there hasn’t been any indication that they aren’t happy with him. He’s been a very important player and Los Angeles has played very poorly when he’s been out. The team went 0-4 when he was out due to the NBA’s COVID-19 protocols.
Lowry is an awesome player and one of the best guards in the league. However, he’s turning 35 on Thursday and is in a contract year. It doesn’t make a lot of sense for the Lakers to trade one of their best young players for a guy who could be past his prime. Schroder is only 27 and should have a bright future in Los Angeles. As exciting as it would be to see Lowry play with LeBron and Anthony Davis, it’s not worth moving on from a player like Schroder.
Will Lakers Make a Trade?
It’s certainly interesting that the Lakers would get involved with a big name like Lowry this close to the trade deadline. That said, the team seems to be involved with every available big-name year after year. They typically don’t end up making a big trade.
It’s possible to see the Lakers make a smaller deal. They need a 3-point shooter. Perhaps they cut a deal to try and add a guy like George Hill or JJ Redick. Even that seems unlikely at this point. There should be plenty of strong options available on the buyout market. If the Lakers choose to go that route, then they don’t need to let go of any of their top guys. Even though things are tough right now, Los Angeles needs to exercise some patience.
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Lakers ‘Open’ to Trading Top Starter in Pursuit of Star: Report