No team is a magnet to NBA trade rumors quite like the Los Angeles Lakers. Despite the team’s assets being close to depleted — and it being nearly October, for crying out loud! — fans and analysts are still speculating about whom the Lakers could go after.
Of course, the conversation is worth having. The Lakers still have multiple major roster needs, much to the chagrin of their loud and loyal fans. It is somewhat jarring that L.A. still has needs of such magnitude despite being among the most active teams this offseason. From the Walker Kessler sign-and-trade to the many free-agent signings, the Lakers revamped their roster around Luka Doncic. But Doncic doesn’t have another big man to throw lobs to if Kessler is on the bench. And he doesn’t have a stretch four to whip one of those Luka Magic passes to for a wide open 3-pointer. Will the Lakers pick up two players to address those needs? Probably. When? Probably later.
Lakers Told to Steer Clear of Trade for This Rising Star
Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus gave more fuel to the raging fire that is the Lakers trade speculation. The longtime NBA writer compiled a list of the Lakers’ top trade targets and listed Indiana Pacers big man Jarace Walker among the five options. Although Walker possesses a unique skill set, Lakers Nation’s Trevor Lane isn’t a fan of the 23-year-old rising star.
“I’ve got more concerns about this,” Lane said during a recent podcast episode. “I don’t think that Jarace Walker — even though he started more than half of his games last season with the Indiana Pacers, we have to remember that was an injured and very tanky, let’s say, Pacers team. So, I think if you were to go get Jarace Walker, does he immediately solve your starting-level wing problem? No, I don’t think so. He’s a talented player, but he is just another to add into the mix of question marks.”
That assessment is spot on. The Lakers already house multiple players who are in a similar ballpark skillwise compared to Walker, including Ziaire Williams, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Jake LaRavia, and two of those players are new additions to the team.
Unless the Lakers could get their hands on Walker for dirt — and we mean that crumbly dirt that is rich brown in color — cheap, it doesn’t make much sense to expend assets just to bring in another player who would be competing with several players for the starting power forward job.
Walker May Be a Shaky Fit … at Best
Walker is young and still very much ascending. Lane praised the former lottery pick for his 3-point shooting efficiency, and rightfully so.
Lane has shot over 38 percent from beyond the arc over his three NBA seasons, including a 40 percent clip in each of his first two seasons. That is impressive for anyone, let alone a young big man who is often dependent on someone to generate shot opportunities for him. But that’s about where Walker’s strengths end.
“Defensively, though, honestly it is not great, and that, to me, is the No. 1 skill that is needed for a wing,” Lane said.
If the Lakers are going to reach again into what’s left in their asset treasure chest, it has to be for a player who is a legitimate starter. Walker does not fit that description.
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