Lakers’ Rob Pelinka Urged to ‘Inquire’ About $96 Million Alternative Trade Target

The Los Angeles Lakers can now trade everyone on their roster, save for Jarred Vanderbilt.

The Lakers have been linked most heavily of late to Atlanta Hawks star Dejounte Murray.

Right behind him has been Chicago Bulls swingman Zach LaVine, though ESPN’s Brian Windhorst put a “0%” of that happening.

“If I’m Rob Pelinka, though, there’s not a store with 30 guys available. But it’s not just LaVine or Dejounte Murray,” ESPN’s Tim MacMahon said on “Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective” on January 15.

“I’m calling Charlotte, I’m inquiring about Terry Rozier, I’m at least checking to see if he might be available at a significantly lower cost. Because I think that that’s a guy who would give you a lot of the stuff you need and wouldn’t cost you as much. It’s not the big splash, although he is averaging 23 points per game. Just nobody knows that because the Hornets are so [bad].”

Trade restrictions on several players league-wide expired on January 15. That unlocked the Lakers’ ability to include one or both of Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura in a trade.

That has led to an uptick in trade rumors in recent days.

The Lakers have had no interest in moving Reaves, though. The third-year man re-signed on a four-year, $53.8 million contract this past offseason. Hachimura’s greatest value in the first year of a three-year, $51 million deal is as salary-matching fodder.

Rozier, 28, is in the second year of a four-year, $96 million contract. The final year of the contract is partially guaranteed. That could make him an even more attractive trade target.

His contract is cheaper and less prohibitive to the future than Murray’s upcoming four-year, $114 million pact. Rozier is averaging more points and assists than Murray. Murray is shooting better from deep this season.

But Rozier has been the better shooter throughout their careers.

His experience and success in the latter could be the most appealing trait on a Lakers roster with LeBron James.

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Dejounte Murray ‘Not’ the Answer Next to LeBron James

“I don’t think getting Dejounte Murray and giving up a bunch of assets for him when I think it’s a bad fit with LeBron and gonna be clunky and – it still doesn’t solve the overall problem for them,” Tim Bontemps said on the podcast. “They need to go get shooting that could guard. That’s not Dejounte Murray.”

Murray is shooting 38.6% from beyond the arc, the second-best mark of his career.

His 56.3% true shooting mark would set a new career high, while Murray is also averaging more than 1.0 steals per game for the sixth straight season, his injury-erased 2018-19 campaign notwithstanding.

Murray is also a Klutch Sports Group client, making for a natural connection to the Lakers.

The agency’s two highest-profile clients – James and Anthony Davis – are already on the roster. Bontemps offered yet another alternative.

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Nets Veteran Could Be Better Trade Target for Lakers Than Dejounte Murray

“If I was the Lakers, I think a better move than getting Dejounte Murray would be getting Dorian Finney-Smith,” Bontemps said. “I think the Lakers need to try to find two guys who can play defense and hit catch-and-shoot threes.”

The Lakers previously had an interest in Finney-Smith and teammate Royce O’Neale.

Perhaps that is the best path forward. It’s certainly more in line with the kind of moves that led to the surge last season, leading to a berth in the Western Conference Finals.

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