Lakers Eye Former ROY, 6MOY Amid Trade Interest in $30M Center

The Los Angeles Lakers are positioning themselves to acquire not only one but two veterans from the Washington Wizards.

Their interest in Wizards center Jonas Valančiūnas has been well-documented since the offseason when he was on LeBron James’ shortlist of then-free agents he was willing to take a paycut for. But the Lakers are also interested in adding a former NBA Rookie of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon, according to Evan Sidery of Forbes.

“The Lakers have recently inquired [about] Malcolm Brogdon in trade talks with the Wizards. Los Angeles is a team to watch potentially acquiring both Brogdon and Jonas Valanciunas from Washington,” Sidery wrote in a post on X.

Brogdon was on the Lakers’ radar when he was still with the Portland Trail Blazers. The Wizards acquired Brogdon and rookie Carlton “Bub” Carrington in the trade that sent Deni Avdija to the Trail Blazers.

The 32-year-old Brogdon is averaging 14.9 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 10 games for the Wizards, including eight starts. Brogdon underwent right thumb surgery in October to fix a torn ligament.

He’s showing no ill effects of that injury as he’s also having an efficient shooting season, hitting 51% from the field and 38.5% from the 3-point line.

Brogdon is one of the best perimeter defenders when healthy. That’s the risk the Lakers would be getting themselves into if they also trade for Brogdon in addition to Valanciunas.

Brogdon has only played more than 60 games in just a single season in his NBA career.

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Malcolm Brogdon Fits Lakers Needs

The Lakers are looking to address their roster issues heading into the February 6 trade deadline.

According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, the Lakers have been eyeing “a tough, physical, defensive-minded center, a big 3-and-D wing who complements [Anthony] Davis and James as a starter/closer and a big, quick, athletic guard with point-of-attack defensive capabilities.”

Brogdon fits the role of the big guard with point-of-attack defensive capabilities. He’s a defensive upgrade over D’Angelo Russell and Gabe Vincent combined.

But do the Lakers have the appetite to take a big risk, given Brogdon’s lengthy injury history?

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Ramping Up Trade Talks for Jonas Valanciunas

The report of the Lakers’ interest in Brogdon could be their move to ramp up trade talks for Valančiūnas since the veteran center has become trade-eligible.

Valančiūnas is one of the 85 players who signed free-agent deals in the offseason that are now trade-eligible. The Lithuanian center shunned the Lakers in the offseason, opting to sign and trade with the Wizards for a three-year, $30.2 million deal.

“According to those I’ve spoken to with knowledge of the situation, Washington and L.A. have already held preliminary talks about a Valančiūnas deal, and the expectation is for those talks to ramp up once he can be traded,” Clutchpoints’ Anthony Irwin wrote on December 12.

Irwin added that the Lakers are expected to offer a package of Gabe Vincent, a salary filler and second-round pick, to the Wizards.

The Wizards might have to ask for one of the Lakers’ two future first-round picks (either of 2029 or 2031) if Brogdon is included in an expansive deal.

Valančiūnas is averaging 11.8 points and 7.6 rebounds in a career-low 19.6 minutes per game for the Wizards.

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