The Los Angeles Lakers pleasantly surprised a lot of people last week when they acquired Rui Hachimura from the Washington Wizards.
For the first time in a long time it seemed like L.A. finally ended up on the winning side of a deal.
Understandably, this led to more speculation about what moves the squad could be working on next.
This week, reports surfaced regarding which Laker is most likely to be dealt next.
According to ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst, Patrick Beverley should be a name to watch.
“I think it’s more likely for the Lakers to look for a [Patrick] Beverley flop than there is to be a blockbuster deal at this point.”
Brian Windhorst on what other moves the Lakers could make before the trade deadline#LakeShow pic.twitter.com/FTDHqGLiJe
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“They now are kind of loaded up at the big man position,” he said.
“I think they’re gonna be active looking for guards, seeing if they can upgrade from Patrick Beverley. They can look to try to flip Beverley because he’s got an expiring contract or they could trade the two first round picks in the future.
“But I think it’s more likely for the Lakers to look for a Beverley flip than there is to be a blockbuster deal at this point.”
This isn’t the first time a prominent NBA voice has alluded to L.A. probably trading away Beverley sooner rather than later. Although he is a nice little spark plug for the team, he doesn’t bring a ton to the table in terms of actual basketball skill – especially offensively.
If only Aaron Rodgers could get his family members to love him as much as the ladies do.https://t.co/pFG1zeufLQ
— Game 7 (@game7__) January 28, 2023
If the Lakers choose to defy the prognosticators and go after a superstar, they have a decent path to getting Zach LaVine from the Chicago Bulls. Unfortunately, there are two other NBA teams circling the waters for him as well.
One way or another, all signs point to the Lakers not being done making moves ahead of Feb. 9’s Trade Deadline. What else will they do? Time will tell.
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