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Sitting at 2-10 to open the season, the Los Angeles Lakers need to start looking around the league for potential trade partners, as it’s clear their current rotation simply isn’t working.
According to Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer, the Detroit Pistons could be willing to enter into trade negotiations with the Lakers’ front office, although it might cost Los Angeles one of their future first-round draft picks. Fischers’ trade proposal looks like this:
Lakers Get: Bojan Bogdanovic, Alec Burks, Nerlens Noel
Pistons Get: Russell Westbrook, either a 2027 or 2029 first-round draft pick.
He’s not playing for the contender most expected for his new team, but Bojan Bogdanovic is still sizzling in Detroit. Will he prove to be the Pistons’ version of CJ McCollum, or snipe his way back onto the trade market? Some intel mixed in @YahooSports:
“Were the Lakers to circle back on Bogdanovic, his deal alongside Alec Burks’ — whom New York discussed with Los Angeles at last year’s deadline, per sources — plus Nerlens Noel’s $9 million salary, would meet Russell Westbrook’s large number. And perhaps that level of return could be a middle ground for the dissenting viewpoints in Lakerland, allowing Los Angeles to add much-need reinforcements for LeBron James, but still saving future draft ammo for next season’s war chest,” Fischer wrote on November 11.
Sure, Westbrook has been much improved since accepting his new role off the Lakers bench, but adding a reliable playmaker in Burks, a genuine rim-protector who could allow Anthony Davis to slide back to the power forward role he prefers, and a knock-down sharpshooter like Bogdanovic would do wonders for revitalizing the Lakers offense.
Lakers Have Been ‘Receiving Calls’ About Westbrook
Another reason why the Lakers could consider Fischer’s proposed trade is because they’re aware that Westbrook’s value is on the rise, and could look to capitalize on that as quickly as possible.
According to a November 10 report by Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes, the Lakers have already begun to field calls regarding Westbrook’s availability, but those discussions are yet to become anything more than due diligence.
Inside the critical decisions for the Lakers, how it could prompt key players to sour on the direction of the franchise, and LeBron James’ unwillingness to stand pat and waste a season, league sources tell @BleacherReport:
“With Russell Westbrook thriving in his new role as a sixth man, the Lakers are now receiving calls about his availability, sources say, but talks are not at a serious stage,” Haynes reported on November 10.
Anthony Davis Applies Pressure to Front Office
During a November 9 post-game press conference, Anthony Davis discussed the difference between his role on the Lakers this season, and that of 2020, when Los Angeles won an NBA championship. During that discussion, it was clear that Davis was sending a message to the Lakers front office – that he prefers playing as a forward alongside a legitimate rim protector.
AD is taking a direct shot at Rob Pelinka & Jeanie buss to get him some reliable big men. He’s never liked playing the 5, and plays better at the 4.
“I was able to roam a lot, I was playing the four then, JaVale (McGee) was playing the five, and Dwight (Howard) was playing the five. You know, guarding the perimeter and I got those guys behind me, or weakside helps, we were getting blocks from the weak side. Now, when I’m the five, I’m the one in the actions, pick-and-rolls, the one guarding the post – things like that…In 19-20, I was a roamer, when I can be on whoever the forward is and roam around and help protect everyone, it’s tough for me to do that when I’m guarding the five,” Davis said.
Adding Noel, then, would be the type of move to appease the Lakers’ star forward and give them the dynamic big-man pairing that has proven so successful for them in recent history. However, as things currently stand, it’s unclear whether Rob Pelinka is willing to part with a future draft pick. Yet, one thing is for certain…If the Lakers don’t improve their current roster, it’s going to be a bleak season for the purple and gold.
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