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While the Boston Celtics have started their season in exceptional fashion, the same can’t be said for their most fierce rivals: the Los Angeles Lakers, who have fallen to three straight defeats to begin the season.
Now, in the wake of the Lakers’ October 22 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, reports are emerging that the Western Conference hopefuls are eyeing multiple trades to remove Russell Westbrook from their rotation, two of which involve former Celtics players.
“Charlotte’s Terry Rozier emerged as a trade target for the Lakers in the offseason and their interest in him remains high, multiple sources tell The Athletic…The Lakers have also held preliminary discussions with the (San Antonio) Spurs in recent weeks, sources said, showing interest in three-and-D wing Josh Richardson. The 6-foot-5 Richardson has averaged nearly 13 points to start the season, shooting 47.1 percent on 5.67 three-point attempts per game,” The Athletic’s Shams Charania wrote in an October 23 report.
Both Rozier and Richardson have had spells in the TD Garden, and both have enjoyed a solid relationship with the fanbase during their tenure. Furthermore, Rozier and Richardson have gone on to carve out legitimate roles with their new team, and would be logical targets for the Lakers, should they choose to pull the trigger on a Westbrook trade.
Gordon Hayward Hints at Interest in Joining Lakers
Another former Celtic who has seen his name linked to the Lakers in recent months is Gordon Hayward, who would likely be part of the same deal that would send Rozier to the Golden Coast.
On October 21, Hayward sent Twitter into meltdown, as he was caught ‘liking’ a tweet from user “The Noble Savage” that noted how a potential deal for Rozier and Hayward is the most logical choice for the Lakers front office.
Kendrick Perkins Praises Current Celtics Team
Multiple ex-Celtics might currently be linked with the Lakers, but the players that remain on Boston’s roster are earning press coverage for all the right reasons after helping their team to an undefeated start to the season.
With an improved, up-tempo offense and a reluctance to rest on their laurels, the Celtics are quickly becoming recognized as genuine contenders for this season’s NBA Championship, which led to former Celtics champion, Kendrick Perkins praising the team on Twitter.