The Los Angeles Lakers are 17-17 after 34 games and have been one of the NBA’s more disappointing teams so far this season.
It seems like everyone agrees that changes need to be made. The only quibbling occurring is what precisely the front office should do. The Lakers are one of four teams in the hunt for Kyle Kuzma, one of four teams in the running for Jordan Clarkson, and one of two frontrunners for Dejounte Murray.
But adding a star isn’t the only thing in the cards for Los Angeles.
One of the more disappointing aspects of the Lakers’ play so far this year has been the production they have gotten from their big men. Anthony Davis is the obvious exception – he is having a great year. But he isn’t getting a ton of support from either Jaxson Hayes or Christian Wood.
If L.A. does eventually right the ship, another date with Nikola Jokic awaits. You can no longer survive in the Western Conference without a proper center. And preferably more than one.
This week, a report surfaced linking the Lakers to two prominent big men: Andre Drummond of the Chicago Bulls and Jakob Poeltl of the Toronto Raptors.
Drummond, who has previously played with the Lakers and spoken extensively on his past experience in Los Angeles, is averaging 7.1 points and 8.3 rebounds per game this year in 15.3 minutes of action per outing.
The 30-year-old could provide a level of support on the glass and defensively that, currently, the Lakers simply aren’t getting from either Hayes or Wood.
If not Drummond, Poeltl could make some sense as well. The Raptors are obviously in the midst of a rebuild, as evidenced by the three-team blockbuster trade they and the Lakers were linked to earlier this week.
Poeltl has been connected to L.A. dating back to his San Antonio Spurs days – the Raptors just put together a better package for him.
This could be an opportunity for both sides to rectify that mistake.
One way or another, the Lakers need to make changes ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline.
Jordyn Woods Wears Distracting Outfit To Timberwolves Game (Photos): https://t.co/FZK9FhGrAm
— Game 7 (@game7__) January 2, 2024
That much is clear.
The question is just whether either Drummond or Poeltl would be an impactful enough addition to really change the trajectory of the Lakers’ season.
One way or another, this is shaping up to be an interesting month for the Lakers and all the trade targets the team has been linked to over the past few months.
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Jennifer Withers Hoey is a former Business Development Manager who transitioned to writing about sports. With valuable connections all over the West Coast, she has used those contacts to break some of the most interesting stories pertaining to the Portland Trail Blazers, Oregon Ducks, LA Lakers, LA Clippers, Seattle Supersonics (RIP), and more.
