With the Los Angeles Lakers set to face the Minnesota Timberwolves tomorrow in the first of a three-game road trip, the team has a lot of decisions to make as the February trade deadline approaches. While the team is in discussions with the Phoenix Suns about a possible Pau Gasol trade, Los Angeles has decided not to retain Manny Harris once his 10-day contract expires.
With Steve Nash and Steve Blake expected to return tomorrow and Jordan Farmar on his way back as well, the decision to not bring back Harris makes sense as the backcourt has quickly become crowded. While the frontcourt may need an extra player with Gasol out for a week, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne says the Lakers won’t be adding another player during the road trip:
Lakers unlikely to add anyone during road trip after Manny Harris' second 10-day expires. Might eventually though.
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) February 4, 2014
With the Lakers depleted by injuries for the second straight season, they are currently one game from the worst record in the Western Conference at 16-31. Although the Lakers started the season at 10-9 without Kobe Bryant, having most of their backcourt players out for an extended period of time has destroyed any chances of making the playoffs.
While the Lakers will look to make changes before the trade deadline to prepare for the future, having their three point guards back should help them be competitive in games.
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