Getty Los Angeles Lakers center Montrezl Harrell.
Trades rumors are starting to heat up for the Los Angeles Lakers after LeBron James suffered an injury. One player who recently got mentioned in trade rumors was backup center Montrezl Harrell. According to Bleacher Report, the Charlotte Hornets have reached out to the Lakers about the reigning Sixth Man of the Year and the team has been open to conversations.
Not one to ignore news involving his name, Harrell decided to post a cryptic message while the rumors were picking up steam.
Harrell is no stranger to posting cryptic messages. He does it quite frequently. Odds are that he’s reacting to the rumors but it’s not likely that he knows anything extra on his end. Trades mostly happen without the players involved knowing what’s going on. It’s doubtful that Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka has told Harrell anything. Regardless, he has taken note of the rumors. It will be interesting to see if it causes any issues with the passionate center.
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Will Lakers Trade Harrell?
It’s no surprise that teams would have an interest in Harrell. He’s one of the best bench players in the NBA and is a consistent scorer. With the Eastern Conference likely running through Brooklyn, having an undersized center shouldn’t be too much of a detriment.
However, it’s hard to see the Lakers actually trading Harrell. He’s been an important player for the team and is their fourth-leading scorer. He also brings a lot of passion and energy. Now, if a star like Bradley Beal became available, the Lakers should give the Washington Wizards whatever they want. He’s not likely to go on the market and there probably won’t be any other superstars who do.
The Lakers could trade Harrell in an effort to find some more shooting, but they could address that need on the buyout market. In the end, he’ll probably remain in Los Angeles for the rest of this season.
Lakers Probably Still Won’t Make Trade
Prior to LeBron getting hurt, it was reported by ESPN that the Lakers weren’t likely to make a trade at the deadline. While their best player getting hurt might change things, the team will probably still play it safe. LeBron and Anthony Davis don’t have season-ending injuries. They will probably be back in time for the playoffs.
The Lakers know this and while they will do their due diligence, they will find that it’s better to wait for the buyout market. Los Angeles has almost no draft picks to trade so that makes landing a player difficult. If they make a trade, they’ll have to send away a good player. That’s not ideal considering the Lakers looked like the best team in the league when their roster was healthy. Once Davis and LeBron are back, the team should be dominant again. All Los Angeles really needs to do is add a shooter or two. If they can improve their shooting, they are going to be hard to beat.
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