The first half of the season hasn’t seen the Los Angeles Lakers play well. Apart from LeBron James and Anthony Davis, they have had trouble producing offensive opportunities on a regular basis. More help is also needed for the defense.
Los Angeles has a chance to bolster the roster before the season completely collapses. The deadline for trades is February 8 at 3 p.m. ET.
The Purple and Gold are most likely to trade for these three players.
1. Finney-Smith, Dorian
An athletic presence in the frontcourt would be beneficial for the Lakers. As the season goes on, it’s usually a good idea to add additional wing depth. During his appearance on RunItBackFDTV, senior NBA insider Shams Charania revealed that the Lakers are interested in Dorian Finney-Smith.
Finney-Smith fits in well as a 3&D wing who can spread the floor for James and Davis. He would also mix things up and invigorate the defense. The Florida product has been a committed defender who can cover the best player on the opposing team without any problems throughout his career.
This season, on 5.5 attempts, he has averaged 9.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 38% shooting from three point range per game. This season, he has made at least four three-pointers in eight games. The Lakers’ baseball team will gain from Finney-Smith’s skill set.
Fans are getting impatient with the Los Angeles Lakers as they slide down the Western Conference rankings. This season, the team went from winning the In-Season Tournament to maybe making it to the play-in round.
Los Angeles qualified for the Western Conference Finals after the Lakers remade their roster the previous season by acquiring D’Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt, Malik Beasley, Mo Bamba, and Rui Hachimura before the trade deadline.
As we move forward in time to this season, the Lakers are interested in a player who will be a significant addition to their backcourt, but we shouldn’t expect them to make several big trades.
Lakers News: Dejounte Murray Gets An Offer From Los Angeles
The Lakers made an offer for Atlanta Hawks point guard Dejounte Murray on Tuesday, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints. Starting veteran point guard D’Angelo Russell, rookie Jalen Hood-Schifino, and draft compensation would all be included in the deal.
According to Siegel, Jovan Buha of The Athletic was the first to reveal that Atlanta “rapidly” rejected the trade package because they don’t want Russell in return for the versatile point guard.
The Lakers’ active trade talks for Murray are not surprising, given that he would immediately surpass Russell on both ends of the court. Murray is averaging 21.0 points, 5.1 assists, and 5.0 rebounds per game this season.
The Lakers need a second ball handler and floor general, and Murray, 27, can play off the ball. Even though Murray has a very team-friendly contract, it’s difficult to see any team reportedly parting with two first-round picks and a “key talent” for him.
It will be interesting to see if the Lakers look elsewhere for improvements in the backcourt or if the Hawks drop their asking price for Murray. The Lakers need to make a big move because they are currently long shots to win the West (+2000 on FanDuel Sportsbook).
