Getty Los Angeles Lakers GM Rob Pelinka.
With LeBron James and Anthony Davis expected to miss substantial time, the Los Angeles Lakers should strongly consider adding a number of pieces soon. The trade deadline is on Thursday and while the team looked like it was going to stay put, the injuries to their stars could shake things up. The Lakers have a couple of positions they’d like to sure up.
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the team has been looking around the league to land a guard but their top target is Andre Drummond.
“The Lakers have been involved in some talks for a guard,” Windhorst said.
“Their big play is if Andre Drummond gets bought out from the Cleveland Cavaliers. They’re hoping to be at the front of the line to get Andre Drummond. It’s not going to help in the short term with their ball-handling but could help their scoring if [LeBron James] and [Anthony Davis] are out for a while.”
The Lakers have been linked to Drummond for a while. His scoring boost would be big for the team right now. Guard help is also a big deal with LeBron out. The team needs to add another player who can run the offense when Dennis Schroder isn’t on the floor.
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Guards Lakers Could Target
It’ll be very interesting to see how the Lakers tackle the trade deadline now. If the team is genuinely worried about LeBron, then they could try to trade for a big name. Perhaps they go all out for Victor Oladipo or Kyle Lowry. However, that would still be difficult to pull off.
What most likely happens is that the Lakers try to stay afloat with what they have and try to add players who can be temporary fixes. One name to watch is Isaiah Thomas. The team was linked to him last week. He’s been out of the NBA this year but he was once one of the better guards in the league when healthy. Perhaps the extra time off has allowed him to regain form. He could be a solid backup point guard to have on the roster while LeBron gets healthy.
The Lakers could also look long-term and try to find a guard who can shoot threes. LeBron should be back before the playoffs. If he is, a player like Thomas won’t be as valuable. However, if Los Angeles added a player like Wayne Ellington, he could continue to be impactful due to his 3-point shooting.
Drummond Could Still Get Traded
The Cleveland Cavaliers would obviously like to trade Drummond. They’re going to wait out this process until they have no choice but to buy him out. While a buyout seems likely, Cleveland may have found a possible trade suitor in the Dallas Mavericks, according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer.
“The Cavaliers have had trade talks with the Mavericks involving Andre Drummond,” O’Connor reported. “Toronto [Raptors] also retains interest in Drummond, while the Lakers and [Brooklyn] Nets will be potential destinations if he gets bought out. Cleveland is seeking a second-round pick, or more if a long-term salary is included.”
If Drummond got traded to Dallas, that would certainly be a blow. They’ve been eyeing him for a month now and are likely hoping that they can woo him in free agency.
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