The Los Angeles Lakers are once again under .500 and in desperate need of some kind of massive trade.
Thus far the team has been linked to several prominent players.
Jerami Grant of the Detroit Pistons has been cited as an option. Same with Ben Simmons of the Philadelphia 76ers. And ditto with Myles Turner of the Indiana Pacers.
However, given how the conversations between LA and Philly went when Russell Westbrook was offered for Simmons – it’s safe to say a deal materializing on that front is unlikely.
If something does get done by Rob Pelinka and Co., it probably won’t include any of those players.
According to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, there are two realistic options for LA that are worth keeping an eye on.
“While the Los Angeles Lakers have designs on Simmons, Turner and Grant, the franchise may not have enough to get a deal done,” he wrote.
“Westbrook’s contract is all but unmovable. Talen Horton-Tucker hasn’t taken a step forward in his third season. A more likely market for the Lakers might be Terrence Ross of the Orlando Magic or Eric Gordon of the Rockets, provided either team wants to take a flyer on Horton-Tucker as a prospect.”
While they’re not the flashiest of options, both Ross and Gordon would fit quite seamlessly with this Lakers group. The latter, in particular, is averaging 14.9 points per game on 46.1 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
If there is one thing LA could use right now, it’s a knockdown consistent three-point threat.
The Lakers are in a bad place right now. Westbrook has been benched. He is lashing out at his teammates. The losing seems continuous, like a pipe that won’t stop leaking. There just doesn’t appear to be anything to be optimistic about.
Paige VanZant kept it real. https://t.co/68mlyaHLpE
— Game 7 (@game7__) January 20, 2022
If this organization can somehow get it together, there is still plenty of time to make a late-season run. But at the moment, the Lakers don’t seem like they have the capacity to do that.
Related: 76ers Reveal 1 Team Has Players They’d Trade Ben Simmons For
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
