LA Lakers Rumors: Lakers urged to pursue Alec Burks of the Detroit Pistons

The LA Lakers might not be done making moves ahead of the Feb. 9 trade deadline. After acquiring Rui Hachimura from the Washington Wizards earlier this week, the Lakers are being urged to pursue Alec Burks of the Detroit Pistons.

Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report named Burks one of the three players the Lakers should consider trading before the deadline. The other two players were Bojan Bogdanovic of the Pistons and Zach LaVine of the Chicago Bulls.

Bogdanovic is having the best season of his career, so the Pistons want at least a first-round pick for him. LaVine will likely cost a lot more because of his contract and status as a two-time All-Star. However, LaVine has ties within the Lakers since he's represented by Klutch Sports.

In an argument to trade for Alec Burks, Zach Buckley explained that he will cost a lot less than Bojan Bogdanovic and Zach LaVine. The LA Lakers parted ways with just Kendrick Nunn and three second-round picks for Hachimura. It was a savy trade by the Lakers that could help them in the long run.

Burks is not a huge name, but he is a very versatile player. He can play and guard multiple positions. He can also score when needed and has improved his 3-point shooting. He is averaging 13.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game, while shooting 45.5% from the field and 44.4% from beyond the arc.

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LA Lakers interested in Fred VanVleet and Eric Gordon

Fred VanVleet of the Toronto Raptors

LA Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka told reporters earlier this week that they might not be done making trades. Pelinka revealed that they are going to monitor the situation around the league and would do trades that make sense.

"The calculus for the Lakers is to win a championship or not," Pelinka said. "There's no in-between or incremental growth. As we analyze opportunities, we have to do it through that lens. If there's an opportunity to get all the way at the end and win a championship, there's no resource we'll hold onto if we feel like that's there."

A couple of names linked to the LA Lakers are Fred VanVleet of the Toronto Raptors and Eric Gordon of the Houston Rockets. Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report reported that the Lakers are one of eight teams interested in VanVleet, who could become a free agent at the end of the season.

Gordon, on the other hand, has three potential suitors — the Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns. Pincus noted that the Rockets could hold off on trading Gordon since he has a partially-guaranteed contract next season.

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