NBA Rumors: NBA executive says the LA Lakers are interested in Christian Wood and Miami Heat sharpshooter
The LA Lakers are in a tough spot as they look to make significant changes to their roster ahead of next season but lack the means to do so.
NBA analysts have thrown around several Lakers who could be of value to other teams, with Stephen A. Smith going as far as throwing out LeBron James' name. The ESPN analyst believes James is the most valuable player on the Lakers roster and that they should consider trading him.
However, as expected, names have started to get floated in the air as potential Lakers acquisitions. According to Heavy's Sean Deveny, NBA executives think the Lakers have some valuable players they can trade outside of James and Anthony Davis.
The reporter revealed that two league executives believe Talen Horton-Tucker has value and some teams will be eager to discuss a possible trade. The Western Conference coach said:
"I think, with Talen, obviously he did not get to where everyone wanted him to be that quickly. But he is 21 years old. He is playing for the Lakers, and development is not the biggest thing there. Every season he has been in the league, there has been COVID and the bubble and something that has gotten in the way of him making steps.
"But I think most of us would take him on our team in a minute. He is big (6-foot-4) and long, he can handle the ball, he can initiate the offense, he will be a good defender even if he is not there yet. He has value."
The Eastern Conference source agreed that THT had some value, also throwing Kendrick Nunn in the mix.
"He was young when he came into the league. He’s still young now. He is still raw in a lot of ways, inconsistent. But he steps up a lot when he gets the chance. It’s a no-lose contract. Him and THT, it was the best package they could do, really."
Meanwhile, the big reveal came when the Eastern conference exec called out names like Miami Heat's Duncan Robinson and Houston Rockets' Christian Wood.
According to Deveney:
"Who could the Lakers target with the pair? It might be tough to get anything done without giving up a future first-rounder, and the Lakers are short in that respect — they can’t trade a pick until 2027 and are reluctant to give up picks that far out. But it won’t be impossible.
"The exec threw out, hypothetically, Duncan Robinson of the Heat, Malik Beasley of the Timberwolves and Christian Wood of the Rockets."
The Lakers undoubtedly need to figure out a way to bring in players they can put around, with an emphasis on perimeter shooters. However, they have made it clear in the past that THT is not on the trading block.
The Lakers had a horrid season despite big-name acquisitions
Perhaps the biggest signing in the 2021 offseason was Russell Westbrook joining the Lakers. Fans had high hopes as they believed the all-time triple-double leader would help Los Angeles on a title run.
Unfortunately, things went terribly wrong as Westbrook had one of the worst campaigns of the last decade. He was not a great fit with LeBron James and Anthony Davis and perhaps caved under the pressure of playing for the Lakers.
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With his huge salary and teams not enthused to acquire his services, the Lakers might be stuck with him for another season. While Westbrook has his deficiencies, he is an incredible guard and could still impact the Lakers' winning.
The Lakers will have the entire summer to figure out how to set up their roster before the season begins on Oct. 18.