Getty Chicago Bulls guard Garrett Temple.
The Los Angeles Lakers are typically very involved at the trade deadline every year, even if they don’t manage to pull off any trades. However, this year feels like it could go either way. The Lakers have a really strong roster right now, and while it feels like the new pieces are still figuring out how they fit so it’s possible a trade can happen.
Though there doesn’t appear to be a glaring issue for the team, Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report believes there’s a way for the Lakers to fix their minor depth issues. He pegged Oklahoma City Thunder center Mike Muscala as a good fit.
“Mike Muscala was a trade-deadline acquisition in 2019, although the price L.A. paid at the time (Ivica Zubac and Michael Beasley) was far too high,” Swartz wrote. “The 29-year-old big man is averaging a career-high 9.3 points per game and is shooting 36.7 percent from three off the Oklahoma City Thunder bench.”
Muscala was a member of the Lakers for a brief time during the 2018-2019 season but wasn’t retained after the season. He’s not a game-changing player but he would give Los Angeles some more size, which they’re lacking in right now.
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Garrett Temple Also a Fit?
The Lakers are currently one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the NBA. They are shooting 38.8%, which ranks fifth out of all 30 teams. While they don’t have a problem with their shooing right now, they could still look to get even better from beyond the arc. Swartz pegged Garrett Temple of the Chicago Bulls as a fit.
“Garrett Temple can guard multiple positions and is hitting a career-best 40.6 percent from three. If the 7-10 Chicago Bulls fall out of playoff contention, he’d be a nice addition to the Lakers bench,” Swartz wrote.
Temple has a lot of experience coming off the bench and would probably fit well in Los Angeles. The way the NBA is now, every team could use more shooting. If the price is low, adding Temple wouldn’t be a bad call for the Lakers.
Lakers Have First Losing Streak of Season
The Lakers were really hot to start the season. They started off with a 14-4 record, which was the best in the NBA. The team has now fallen back to earth a little bit.
For the first time this season, the Lakers are on a losing streak. They’ve lost two straight games to the Philadelphia 76ers and Detroit Pistons. Due to those losses, they have now dropped to third in the Western Conference. That said, it’s not time to get concerned quite yet.
The Lakers only lost to the 76ers by one point, and they could be the best team in the Eastern Conference. The 107-92 loss to the Pistons was ugly but it was the second game of a back-to-back and Anthony Davis missed the game with an injury. The Lakers had a very short offseason so it’s not a surprise they’re having some struggles early in the season. They should be just fine.
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