The Los Angeles Lakers have been searching for a competent non-LeBron James ballhandler for years now.
Last season, following the acquisition of D’Angelo Russell, there was some hope that he could step into that role. Unfortunately, for a myriad of reasons, the 27-year-old appears to have fallen out of favor with Lakers head coach Darvin Ham.
Should Ham get fired and replaced with one of the two candidates that have been circling the waters in recent days then maybe Russell will get his point guard spot back. But if that doesn’t happen – L.A. might seek a replacement.
This week, three point guards were linked to the Lakers as potential trade candidates.
As noted by Fran Leiva, Malcolm Brogdon could make a lot of sense for L.A. He almost ended up a Los Angeles Clipper this past offseason, and he would fit in quite snugly with their Crypto Arena roommates.
Brogdon is averaging 15.7 points and 5.6 assists per game this season. He is also shooting 41.4 percent from beyond the arc and is coming off a year where he shot 44.4 percent from three. In many ways, he could do for Los Angeles what Gabe Vincent was supposed to.
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If not Brogdon, Collin Sexton could make sense as well. The 25-year-old has been linked to the Lakers for years. This season he is averaging 15.9 points in 23 minutes of action per game. Given how the Utah Jazz are underutilizing him, Sexton could experience a career rejuvenation with the Lakers.
Finally, Dennis Schroder is another name to watch. He has already reunited with the Lakers once – and he clearly isn’t experiencing a ton of success with the Toronto Raptors. Given that franchise’s desire to blow the roster up and move on, Schroder could find his way back to L.A. fairly easily.
One way or another, the Lakers are going to make some moves ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline. Will adding a point guard be one of those moves? Time will tell.
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Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7’s go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.
