LA Lakers Rumors: Portland Trail Blazers forward named 'great fit' for LA Lakers
The LA Lakers might be a few moves away from becoming playoff contenders this season. The latest rumors suggest that Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant is a "great fit" for the Lakers.
With LeBron James defying Father Time, Anthony Davis close to returning and Russell Westbrook playing great as a sixth man, the Lakers are starting to make some noise. Alex Kirschenbaum of Sports Illustrated proposed a trade, acquiring Jerami Grant from the Blazers.
Kirschenbaum described Grant as a "great fit" in Hollywood due to his scoring and defending. Grant can score in bunches, while capable of defending multiple positions. He added that Grant can play alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the front court.
However, the LA Lakers will likely need to trade a future first-round pick to acquire Jerami Grant. The Portland Trail Blazers parted ways with a protected first-round pick to get Grant from the Detroit Pistons in the offseason.
It should also be noted that Grant will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. If things don't work out with Grant and the Lakers, they could lose him for free. That means they would have wasted a first-round pick for half-a-season of Grant's services.
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LA Lakers settle for Rui Hachimura
The LA Lakers made a low-risk, high-reward trade on Monday night. They acquired Rui Hachimura from the Washington Wizards in exchange for Kendrick Nunn and three second-round picks. Hachimura might not be as good as Grant, but he can also provide scoring and defense.
Hachimura has played 30 games for the Wizards this season, averaging 13.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists this season. He also dropped 30 points in his final game for the Wizards. He's expected to provide depth and size for the Lakers, as per general manager Rob Pelinka.
"We are excited to welcome Rui and his family to the Los Angeles Lakers," Pelinka said. "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."
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Monday that the LA Lakers are planning to sign Rui Hachimura to an extension. Hachimura will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season.
Based on NBA insider Shams Charania's comments on The Rally, the Phoenix Suns and Indiana Pacers were interested in Hachimura. If he signs an offer sheet, the Lakers can match it and retain his services.
“The three finalists for Hachimura, I’m told, were the Lakers as well as the Pacers and Suns.”
NBA Insider @ShamsCharania reports on the Wizards trading Rui Hachimura to the Lakers for Kendrick Nunn and three second-round picks. https://t.co/4LgjCbqJgc
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