Getty Rui Hachimura #28 of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles against Royce O'Neale #00 of the Brooklyn Nets.
Royce O’Neale may not be as flashy and as decorated as Dejounte Murray, but he could be a cheaper alternative trade option for the Los Angeles Lakers.
According to Los Angeles Times’ Dan Woike, the Lakers are revisiting their draft night trade interest in O’Neale, one of their trade targets in the Brooklyn Nets roster.
“There’s interest in Washington point guard Tyus Jones and center Daniel Gafford, Charlotte guard Terry Rozier and Brooklyn’s wings Royce O’Neal (whom they were discussing in draft night trades) and Dorian Finney-Smith,” Woike wrote on January 21.
O’Neale’s expiring deal on a fringe play-in team is enough motivation for the Nets to flip him before the February 8 trade deadline.
The Nets sought a first-round pick for O’Neale in the offseason, per Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer last June. But that cost should be lower by now.
O’Neale was scoreless in 18 minutes off the bench during the Brooklyn Nets’ stunning 130-112 rout of the Lakers on January 19. He missed his five attempts from the field — all from the 3-point area. But on the season, he’s shooting 36% from deep.
The 30-year-old veteran O’Neale is averaging 7.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 25 minutes for the Nets this season despite their glut of wings.
Darvin Ham Slams Lakers’ Poor 2nd Half vs Nets
Lakers coach Darvin Ham was upset about how the Lakers played in the second half against the Nets which snapped their two-game winning streak.
“The first half is what we’re working toward,” Ham told reporters after the loss via Spectrum SportsNet. “Coming out of those last two games, those last two wins, and then the inconsistency showed up and reared its head in the second half. But we can’t feel sorry for ourselves and make excuses. We saw the same people that put together that first half, the same ones that allowed that second half and we just have to decide which team will gonna be.”
With the Lakers relatively healthy, only missing Cam Reddish and Gabe Vincent due to knee injuries, Ham could no longer use their health as an excuse to explain their inconsistent play.
“It’s over for the excuses,” Ham said. “We got to play basketball.”
Lakers Eye Bruce Brown
In front of O’Neale in the Lakers’ trade board is Bruce Brown, Denver’s 6th Man when the Nuggets swept the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals last season.
The Lakers were frontrunners to land Brown in free agency until the Indiana Pacers beat them with a $45 million, 2-year offer. Brown was part of the Pascal Siakam return package for the Toronto Raptors.
Should the Raptors re-route Brown, the Lakers will have an interest according to multiple reports.
“If the Toronto Raptors decide to move on from Bruce Brown Jr., the Lakers will have interest in acquiring him, according to team sources,” wrote The Athletic’s Jovan Buha on January 19. “The Lakers coveted Brown last summer and believed they were the favorites to sign him using the team’s nontaxpayer midlevel exception before Indiana swooped in with a cap-space offer.
“Much like he was last summer, Brown will become one of the most coveted players on the trade market if he’s available. Of note: Because Brown was already traded from Indiana to Toronto in the [Pascal] Siakam deal, he cannot be combined with another player in a potential trade.”