Getty Patrick Beverley, Los Angeles Lakers
As the Los Angeles Lakers continue to search for ways to upgrade their roster, it is becoming increasingly likely that Patrick Beverley will be the makeweight in any potential deal.
According to ESPN’S Bobby Marks, one player that could make sense for the Lakers is Terrence Ross, who could be available in a player swap with Patrick Beverley, should the Orlando Magic be interested in improving their perimeter defense. The proposed trade looks like this:
Fairly realistic ORL-LAL trade idea from @BobbyMarks42: Terrence Ross to the Lakers for Patrick Beverley and the Bulls’ 2023 second-round pick.
Lakers Get: Terrence Ross
Magic Get: Patrick Beverley, 2023 second-round pick via Chicago Bulls
Ross, 31, boasts career averages of 11 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.3 assists on 42.9% shooting from the field and 37.3% shooting from deep, meaning he would help ease some of the three-point scoring issues the Lakers have faced throughout the season.
The Lakers currently sit 13th in the Western Conference and are in serious danger of missing out on the playoffs for the second straight season – something which will not appease the incredibly competitive LeBron James.
Jeanie Buss Prefers Lakers To Stand Pat
According to a Western Conference executive, who spoke with Heavy On Sports Sean Deveney under the condition of anonymity, there are multiple members of the Lakers front office who prefer to wait until the off-season to reshape the current roster, and Jeanie Buss is one of them.
Oh the Lakers! Now it’s rumored that Jeanie Buss is the one that doesn’t want to trade future assets to make a run at a title! I’M DONE with them. So now, she is getting the 💨! Pelinka, your off the hook! @SportsGrid #LakeShow #JeanieBuss #LeBron #HelpTheKing #GamblingTwitter
“They have come this far without trading the two picks (in 2027 and 2029) away, and it is going to be very hard to move Westbrook without putting one of those picks into the deal. You’ve got a lot of the organization saying, ‘We should trade picks and win now,’ but some in the organization are saying, ‘Do not sell out the future.’ And Jeanie Buss is with the second group, and that is what matters most,” The executive said
Lakers Likely To Keep Austin Reaves
During Deveney’s conversation with the Western Conference executive, the future of Austin Reaves was discussed, with the general consensus being that he holds more value to the Lakers than he would for another team and, therefore, is likely to remain beyond the trade deadline, and possibly beyond the current season.
Austin Reaves has all of the steez
“They have to pay him in free agency, and we will have to see how that goes. And if the time comes when they get some big offer for a blockbuster, and they have to include Reaves or the deal falls apart, you bet they’re going to go ahead and include him. But they love the guy, LeBron loves the guy, they’re not trading him now,” The executive said.
Reaves has been an ever-present for the Lakers this season, providing them with 10.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game while shooting 48.8% from the field and 36% from deep – all while being a genuine high-IQ player and holding his own on the defensive end.