Lakers trade news

The Los Angeles Lakers have a number of key players who are about to become free agents, and there seems to be a good chance that at least one of them will not be back next season. Guards D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, Lonnie Walker IV and Dennis Schroder, as well as forwards Rui Hachimura and Troy Brown Jr. will be free agents once the new league year begins in a few weeks. While keeping Reaves and Hachimura are a big priority for Los Angeles, Russell could be a different story. The 27-year-old guard played poorly in the Western Conference finals, and some feel the team wants to part ways with him. Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports wrote that the Lakers are exploring sign-and-trade possibilities with him, and one could involve veteran Chris Paul (h/t Via “Would Phoenix take Russell for Paul? The Suns held discussions with the Timberwolves regarding Russell prior to the trade deadline, sources told Yahoo Sports, before Minnesota found a new home for him with the Lakers. Phoenix also coveted Wolves center Naz Reid in trade talks, sources said. “Russell is known to be close friends with Booker. Plus, the Lakers are said to be exploring similar sign-and-trade possibilities with Russell. For Los Angeles and Phoenix, losing Russell by free agency or waiving Paul would sacrifice a $30 million salary slot that feels all the more precious while staring down a daunting new second tax apron in the league’s upcoming collective bargaining agreement. These decisions are not ones to make o...

With the NBA’s second-worst record, the Hornets are one of the few NBA teams without the ability to even pretend like they have a chance of sneaking into a play-in game. And as a wholeheartedly tanking team, the Hornets will likely attempt to sell off every player that isn’t nailed to the floor and/or part of their long-term plans. And if the If the two teams are indeed on their way to completing a deal this season, there’s probably only one player that the Hornets wouldn’t be at least willing to discuss dealing. Other than LaMelo Ball, the Hornets should make everyone available for the right price. Whether the Lakers can, should, and will pay that price is another question entirely. It’s worth remembering that the Hornets’ GM, Mitch Kupchak, was once the Lakers’ own, and may be less willing to give a discount to the franchise that showed him the door at the end of the 2017 season. If the two teams can find common ground, the Hornets have a handful of players that may Gordon Hayward If the Lakers are going to trade for Gordon Hayward, the deal will necessarily have to include Russell Westbrook, assuming both LeBron James and Anthony Davis are out of the deal. Otherwise, the Lakers lack the composite salary to match the $60 million Hayward’s owed across across this season and next. Also, based on the 32-year-old’s dwindling abilities to (1) stay on the floor; and (2) be a real difference-maker when he is, acquiring Hayward is probably incongruous with the Lakers’ goals. Fur...

A member of the Wizards staff massages forward Rui Hachimura after he exited the Orlando Magic game, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel) "We are excited to welcome Rui and his family to the Los Angeles Lakers," Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka said in a statement. "Adding both size and depth to the wing position has been a goal, and the chance to accomplish that by acquiring a player with Rui’s two-way skills and upside was an opportunity that doesn’t present itself often. We want to thank Kendrick Nunn and his family for his time as a Laker, and we wish him nothing but the best in the future." Hachimura and the Wizards failed to agree to a rookie extension before the season started, which started the speculation over whether he would be in their future plans. Sources told ESPN the Lakers acquired Hachimura with the intention of signing him to an extension. Hachimura alluded to a potential trade last week. Wizards forward Rui Hachimura reacts after scoring against the Orlando Magic, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel) MAVS’ LUKA DONCIC ARRIVES TO ARENA IN FULLY LOADED, SIX-WHEEL TRUCK "I just want to be somewhere that wants me as a basketball player," he said. "And I want to be somewhere that likes my game.... I just want to be somewhere that believes in me and I can be myself. That’s my goal." Wizards forward Rui Hachimura smiles after scoring against Orlando Magic, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023, in Washington. (AP Pho...

The Lakers, Timberwolves and Jazz are finalizing a 3-team trade that could shake up the Western Conference playoff race. LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers have traded Russell Westbrook to Utah and reacquiring guard D’Angelo Russell from Minnesota in a three-team, eight-player deal. Minnesota is getting Mike Conley and Nickeil Alexander-Walker from Utah, along with three second-round picks, it was announced Thursday. Los Angeles is also getting guard Malik Beasley and forward Jarred Vanderbilt from the Jazz, bolstering its core around LeBron James in a bid to jump-start its sputtering season. The Lakers fell to 25-30 on Tuesday while James set the NBA’s career scoring record, and they sit in 13th place in the 15-team Western Conference. The Lakers are sending Juan Toscano-Anderson, Damian Jones and their first-round pick in 2027 to Utah with Westbrook. In a separate move, the Timberwolves waived Bryn Forbes to make room for their new additions. Los Angeles receives: • • • Minnesota receives: • • • 2024 second-round pick (via Lakers) • 2025 second-round pick (via Jazz) • 2026 2nd round pick (via Jazz) Utah receives: • • • • 2027 1st-round pick (via Lakers) NEWS: Minnesota Conley will wear #10 and Alexander-Walker will be #9. Full release: — Timberwolves PR (@Twolves_PR) Westbrook’s tenure with his hometown team lasted just 130 tumultuous games. The 2017 NBA MVP never thrived with James and injury-plagued Anthony Davis for any significant stretch of time, struggling to mol...

Getty Myles Turner contesting LeBron James shot. The This could lead the team to reach back out to the Indiana Pacers. A trade package surrounding center The Turner-to-L.A. talks have had such a long shelf life, because that fit looks so intriguing on paper. He could keep the floor spaced for LeBron James and Anthony Davis to attack. On defense, Turner would make the Lakers massive without greatly sacrificing their mobility. Assemble the right supporting cast around them, and you could be looking a top-five defense and top-10 offense. That’s championship-level basketball, which should be L.A.’s lone concern with James nearing the end of his legendary career. The Lakers would lose a few long-term assets here, but if anyone should prioritize the present over the future, it’s the Purple and Gold. This Would Be Great Trade for Lakers By the time the Lakers got to the Western Conference Finals, Beasley, Bamba and Christie were not in the rotation. With the trade that Buckley is pitching, Los Angeles would be moving on from three players who didn’t have a role to add two potential impact players. Christie could end up being a good player, which is why the Pacers should be interested in this deal. The Lakers won a championship in 2020 when they had a competent center they could play with MYLES TURNER PUT GIANNIS ON A POSTER 😳 — Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) Is This Trade Enough to Get Lakers Over the Hump? After getting swept, it’s easy to hit the panic button. However, the L...

Sorry! There was an error processing your subscription. They've been seeking wing help on the trade market, but it typically doesn't come cheap, and they have been hesitant to include their 2027 and 2029 first-round picks in trades to find upgrades. From that perspective, Hachimura represents the perfect compromise. Hachimura, now in the final season of his rookie deal after being picked No. 9 overall in 2019, missed much of last season for personal reasons and dealt with a bone bruise that forced him to miss games this season. Meanwhile, he has struggled to find his place on a Wizards team loaded with rotation-caliber players but lacking the sort of veterans that could help him develop into what Washington hoped for when he was drafted. Things came to a head over the weekend, when Hachimura said he wasn't sure if he wanted to be traded. "I just want to be somewhere that wants me as a basketball player, and I want to be somewhere that likes my game," he Now he'll get his wish. Hachimura joins a Lakers team that desperately needs someone at his position and is seemingly ready to invest in his development for at least the rest of the season. As such, they earn a solid grade for the move. Los Angeles Lakers: A- The Lakers are, Hachimura is this season's low-risk, high-reward addition, and the upside is significantly higher. Johnson was a notoriously poor shooter. Hachimura is more of a mixed bag. He's attempted only 2.5 3-pointers per game for his career, and his percentages ...

With the NBA’s second-worst record, the Hornets are one of the few NBA teams without the ability to even pretend like they have a chance of sneaking into a play-in game. And as a wholeheartedly tanking team, the Hornets will likely attempt to sell off every player that isn’t nailed to the floor and/or part of their long-term plans. And if the If the two teams are indeed on their way to completing a deal this season, there’s probably only one player that the Hornets wouldn’t be at least willing to discuss dealing. Other than LaMelo Ball, the Hornets should make everyone available for the right price. Whether the Lakers can, should, and will pay that price is another question entirely. It’s worth remembering that the Hornets’ GM, Mitch Kupchak, was once the Lakers’ own, and may be less willing to give a discount to the franchise that showed him the door at the end of the 2017 season. If the two teams can find common ground, the Hornets have a handful of players that may Gordon Hayward If the Lakers are going to trade for Gordon Hayward, the deal will necessarily have to include Russell Westbrook, assuming both LeBron James and Anthony Davis are out of the deal. Otherwise, the Lakers lack the composite salary to match the $60 million Hayward’s owed across across this season and next. Also, based on the 32-year-old’s dwindling abilities to (1) stay on the floor; and (2) be a real difference-maker when he is, acquiring Hayward is probably incongruous with the Lakers’ goals. Fur...

Getty Myles Turner contesting LeBron James shot. The This could lead the team to reach back out to the Indiana Pacers. A trade package surrounding center The Turner-to-L.A. talks have had such a long shelf life, because that fit looks so intriguing on paper. He could keep the floor spaced for LeBron James and Anthony Davis to attack. On defense, Turner would make the Lakers massive without greatly sacrificing their mobility. Assemble the right supporting cast around them, and you could be looking a top-five defense and top-10 offense. That’s championship-level basketball, which should be L.A.’s lone concern with James nearing the end of his legendary career. The Lakers would lose a few long-term assets here, but if anyone should prioritize the present over the future, it’s the Purple and Gold. This Would Be Great Trade for Lakers By the time the Lakers got to the Western Conference Finals, Beasley, Bamba and Christie were not in the rotation. With the trade that Buckley is pitching, Los Angeles would be moving on from three players who didn’t have a role to add two potential impact players. Christie could end up being a good player, which is why the Pacers should be interested in this deal. The Lakers won a championship in 2020 when they had a competent center they could play with MYLES TURNER PUT GIANNIS ON A POSTER 😳 — Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) Is This Trade Enough to Get Lakers Over the Hump? After getting swept, it’s easy to hit the panic button. However, the L...

The Lakers, Timberwolves and Jazz are finalizing a 3-team trade that could shake up the Western Conference playoff race. LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers have traded Russell Westbrook to Utah and reacquiring guard D’Angelo Russell from Minnesota in a three-team, eight-player deal. Minnesota is getting Mike Conley and Nickeil Alexander-Walker from Utah, along with three second-round picks, it was announced Thursday. Los Angeles is also getting guard Malik Beasley and forward Jarred Vanderbilt from the Jazz, bolstering its core around LeBron James in a bid to jump-start its sputtering season. The Lakers fell to 25-30 on Tuesday while James set the NBA’s career scoring record, and they sit in 13th place in the 15-team Western Conference. The Lakers are sending Juan Toscano-Anderson, Damian Jones and their first-round pick in 2027 to Utah with Westbrook. In a separate move, the Timberwolves waived Bryn Forbes to make room for their new additions. Los Angeles receives: • • • Minnesota receives: • • • 2024 second-round pick (via Lakers) • 2025 second-round pick (via Jazz) • 2026 2nd round pick (via Jazz) Utah receives: • • • • 2027 1st-round pick (via Lakers) NEWS: Minnesota Conley will wear #10 and Alexander-Walker will be #9. Full release: — Timberwolves PR (@Twolves_PR) Westbrook’s tenure with his hometown team lasted just 130 tumultuous games. The 2017 NBA MVP never thrived with James and injury-plagued Anthony Davis for any significant stretch of time, struggling to mol...

Sorry! There was an error processing your subscription. They've been seeking wing help on the trade market, but it typically doesn't come cheap, and they have been hesitant to include their 2027 and 2029 first-round picks in trades to find upgrades. From that perspective, Hachimura represents the perfect compromise. Hachimura, now in the final season of his rookie deal after being picked No. 9 overall in 2019, missed much of last season for personal reasons and dealt with a bone bruise that forced him to miss games this season. Meanwhile, he has struggled to find his place on a Wizards team loaded with rotation-caliber players but lacking the sort of veterans that could help him develop into what Washington hoped for when he was drafted. Things came to a head over the weekend, when Hachimura said he wasn't sure if he wanted to be traded. "I just want to be somewhere that wants me as a basketball player, and I want to be somewhere that likes my game," he Now he'll get his wish. Hachimura joins a Lakers team that desperately needs someone at his position and is seemingly ready to invest in his development for at least the rest of the season. As such, they earn a solid grade for the move. Los Angeles Lakers: A- The Lakers are, Hachimura is this season's low-risk, high-reward addition, and the upside is significantly higher. Johnson was a notoriously poor shooter. Hachimura is more of a mixed bag. He's attempted only 2.5 3-pointers per game for his career, and his percentages ...