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Despite the Los Angeles Lakers finding a little bit of rhythm to begin the new year, there’s no doubt that they still need some fresh blood to help their roster fight for a playoff position.
According to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, one player the Lakers have been inquiring about is New York Knicks wing Cam Reddish, who the Eastern Conference team is rumored to be willing to trade in return for some second-round draft picks.
“The Knicks are willing to part with Reddish for two second-round picks, league sources told HoopsHype. The Lakers, Bucks, and other teams have inquired about the asking price for Reddish, who was shooting a career-high 44.9 percent from the field before being benched, HoopsHype has learned,” Scotto wrote on January 10.
Reddish, 23, has struggled to carve out a consistent role for himself since entering the NBA as the 10th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. However, in the 20 games he’s played this season, Reddish is averaging 8.4 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 1 assist per game while shooting 44.9% from the field and 30.4% from deep.
LeBron James Unlikely To Leave Lakers
According to ESPN’S Brian Windhorst, who was speaking on a January 9 episode of The Hoops Collective podcast, there is confidence among the Lakers front office that LeBron James does not want out of the franchise.
“His contract extension that he did last year. … That was the actions of somebody who has no intention of leaving the Lakers…So, really, his weapon is to make the Lakers uncomfortable. It’s not a threat he’s going to walk on them. I think the Lakers are fully aware of that,” Windhorst said.
Despite the Lakers’ current good form, they have struggled to consistently play at a high level this season and currently find themselves sitting 12th in the Western Conference – two spots outside of the play-in tournament. As such, LeBron has cut an increasingly frustrated figure in recent weeks as he bids to apply pressure to the front office in hopes that they make a trade.
Teams Are Preparing Trade Offers For LeBron James
According to one general manager who spoke with Heavy On Sports’ NBA Insider Sean Deveney under the condition of anonymity, teams around the league are preparing trade offers for LeBron, just in case he does decide to ask out of the Lakers franchise at the end of the current season.
“It’s in the background, if you think you have a chance at him. There are preparations being made, just in case—you have to make them, like the Boy Scouts used to say, ‘Be Prepared…It will not be an easy thing to do, and there are a lot of factors. There’s still a chance the Lakers make a trade this year, or that something clicks and they go on a run. You can’t count that out. And they will have a chance to do something that (James) likes in free agency this summer, something that could change the outlook there,” The GM told Deveney.
LeBron, 38, is playing at an All-NBA level this season, averaging 29.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game while shooting 51% from the field and 29.5% from deep – so it makes sense that there will be plenty of suitors should he decide to move on from the Lakers. However, one would hope that any move for a wing such as Reddish would be a precursor of potential trades to come or some significant rebuilding in the off-season.
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