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The Los Angeles Lakers have won four of their last five games and 12 of 17 contests since a three-game losing streak in early November. They have not lost consecutive contests in that span.
But Sam Vecenie of The Athletic is not convinced by their strong start and believes there is room for improvement on the roster and Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson could be an answer.
“The Lakers, they just need like a starting wing and another ball handler. I think they just need … stuff on the perimeter,” Vecenie said on the “Game Theory” podcast on December 14. “Klay is expiring. What is Klay Thompson’s market? … I think the Lakers would probably have interest. I think that but I don’t know.”
Thompson, 33, is not producing as he once did.
Heading into the Warriors’ tilt versus the Los Angeles Clippers, Thompson is averaging 15.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists while shooting a career-worst 34.3% from beyond the arc. Thompson’s previous career-low mark was 38.4% which he set just last season.
Klay from the corner 🤌
Thompson was still shooting 42.9% on 1.1 pull-up threes, per NBA.com. And he is 5-for-12 (41.7%) from the right corner entering play versus the Clippers.
He finished that game with 30 points and hit a season-high eight of his 12 on three-pointers.
“Remember when I said trade him,” ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins asked on “NBA Today” on December 13. “Not because I believe that Klay is finished. I really believe this: Klay need a new start. I believe if Klay is in another situation we will see the best version of Klay”
As he plays out the final year of his five-year, $189.9 million contract, Thompson has been visibly frustrated at times.
Klay Thompson ‘Frustrated’ This Season
“Thompson’s slump to start this season feels different,” wrote Kendra Andrews of ESPN on November 28. “His contract negotiations are weighing on him, sources told ESPN, and he appears to be noticeably more frustrated during games. He sometimes sits on the end of the bench by himself during timeouts, or slaps his head after taking a bad shot.”
“You want me to bench me?”
Klay Thompson got spicy when asked about Steve Kerr’s patience sticking with the same starters 😅
Head coach Steve Kerr benched Thompson in the Warriors’ loss to the Phoenix Suns on December 12.
He finished with seven points on 2-for-10 shooting including 1-for-8 on threes.
Thompson averaged 18.4 points while shooting 37.8% from deep over the nine games before his benching. And he bounced back against the Clippers, sinking four of his eight threes in the third quarter alone.
It’s unclear how willing the two teams would be to do each other favors as they compete for playoff spots and positioning. But the Lakers would get some much-needed shooting. And the Warriors would get additional depth and cut their luxury tax bill substantially.
There is a path to a deal, though it may require the Lakers to get creative.
Proposed Lakers Trade Targets Warriors’ Klay Thompson
The Lakers could offer a package of D’Angelo Russell, who spent half of the 2019-20 season with Golden State, and Gabe Vincent if they want to target Thompson in a trade before the January 15 expiration on trade restrictions for several players around the league.
Lakers get:
– Klay Thompson
Warriors get:
– D’Angelo Russell
– Gabe Vincent
This offer could require a third team to make work since the Warriors would still have Stephen Curry and Chris Paul.
They can offer Rui Hachimura and/or Austin Reaves if they wait until January 15
The Lakers are not interested in trading Reaves and, while there have been no such declarations about Hachumura, he has grown close with LeBron James. Lakers head coach Darvin Ham has also praised the team’s depth which has carried them at times this season.
Giving up key pieces of that depth, some of whom have not played much, could be a tough sell.
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Analyst Floats Lakers as Potential Trade Destination for $190 Million Wing