Ever since LeBron James and Anthony Davis joined forces on the Los Angeles Lakers, it seems as if there has always been some conversation about getting a third star to join them. That desire led to the ill-fated Russell Westbrook trade as well as other pursuits for the likes of Kyrie Irving.
At the trade deadline, the Lakers went the other way, blowing up the idea of another superstar and turning it into quality depth which helped them make a run to the Western Conference Finals. The front office continued with that plan in the offseason, remaining focused on continuity as opposed to a splashy move for a big name. But that doesn’t mean the organization isn’t keeping their eyes open just in case a star comes available.
According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young remains on the Lakers’ radar depending on how his situation works out:
Even into this summer, there were some in the organization, including James, who still had an interest in pursuing Irving, though the front office ultimately prioritized continuity. Trae Young has long been on Los Angeles’ radar, depending on how his situation unfolds in Atlanta.
Young has been a bit of a polarizing figure in his NBA career so far. Undoubtedly talented, he has averaged 25.5 points and 9.3 assists in his five-year NBA career being named an All-Star twice as well as being named to the All-NBA Third Team in 2022.
His style of play has come under criticism however as he has operated in the same mold as James Harden or Luka Doncic with the ball always in his hands, sometimes leading bad decisions overall. He also hasn’t been quite the shooter many expected with just a 35.1% career mark from 3-point range. The Hawks even announced that they would be open to moving Young this offseason, though no deal came to fruition.
The Lakers do have the contracts to make such a trade work with D’Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura getting them close to the $40 million Young is owed this year, so this will undoubtedly be something many will be keeping an eye on going forward.
Lakers’ Austin Reaves believes his recent success is ‘well-deserved’
Some might argue the Lakers already have their third star on the roster as Austin Reaves has developed into one of the most promising young guards in the league. He had an excellent playoff run and is contributing to Team USA at the FIBA World Cup and Reaves believes his success these last few months is well-deserved.
In a recent interview, Reaves spoke about how he has worked hard for this success his entire life, adding that he never took shortcuts and is getting rewarded for all of the work he has put in.
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