LA Lakers Rumors Roundup: Rob Pelinka trying to find other trade options, NBA analyst suggests signing former 2nd overall pick and more | August 20, 2022
LeBron James signing a two-year extension with the LA Lakers brought some good news for the historic franchise. However, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka is still not done making moves. The latest rumors suggest Pelinka are looking at other trade options.
Meanwhile, an NBA analyst believes that the Lakers should sign a former second overall pick. The team is still looking for ways to improve their roster and possibly become playoff contenders. There have been some changes made this offseason, but more can be done.
Here is the latest LA Lakers rumors roundup for Aug. 20 brought to you by Sportskeeda.
Rob Pelinka trying to find other trade options
The LA Lakers has had a very busy offseason. They replaced head coach Frank Vogel with Darvin Ham. They signed five free agents to refresh the roster and make it younger. The Lakers also signed LeBron James to a two-year extension worth $97.1 million.
However, general manager Rob Pelinka is not done making moves. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski revealed in an episode of "NBA Today" that Pelinka has been on the phone a lot. The Lakers want to add more shooting to their roster, something that was lacking last season.
"I still think this is a Laker team, Rob Pelinka, has still been very active even in the dog days of August," Wojnarowski said. "He's been on the phone a lot. He's still trying to find deals to bring in more shooting perhaps size."
"I think those conversations continue all the way to training camp until the start of the season. I still think this Laker roster may not look dramatically different but subtly different going into next season."
NBA analyst thinks LA Lakers should sign former 2nd overall pick
Ben Stinar of Sports Illustrated believes the LA Lakers should take a chance on Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. The former No. 2 pick has not played in the NBA since the 2020 playoffs with the Dallas Mavericks. He was also on the 2020-21 preseason roster for the New York Knicks.
Stinar opined that Kidd-Gilchrist could become a very good defender who comes off the bench. It's a low-risk, high-reward signing for the Lakers. Before his stint with the Mavericks, Kidd-Gilchrist spent around eight seasons with the Charlotte Hornets.
The Kentucky product has career averages of 8.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists. The last team to take a chance on an end-of-the-bench type player was the Golden State Warriors. It paid off for the Warriors since Gary Payton II became an integral part of their 2022 NBA championship run.
4 shooters the LA Lakers could target via trade
The LA Lakers are still looking to add shooting to their roster for next season. Paul Reed of FanSided's Lake Show Life has suggested four shooters the Lakers can target via trade. Reed listed Bojan Bogdanovic, Josh Richardson, Doug McDermott and Buddy Hield.
All four players are shooters, with Bogdanovic and Richardson being capable scorers. Bogdanovic could become available since the Utah Jazz are entering full rebuild mode. The same can be said for Richardson and McDermott, who both play for the rebuilding San Antonio Spurs.
Meanwhile, Hield has been linked with the Lakers for the past two seasons. There were reports that the Lakers were close to acquiring him and Myles Turner from the Indiana Pacers. However, the Pacers wanted two first round picks in exchange for absorbing the salary of Russell Westbrook.