UPDATE (July 4, 2015 at 6:25 PM PST): According to Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times, the Los Angeles Lakers will be sending a future second round draft pick to the Indiana Pacers for Roy Hibbert:
[divide]Lakers' price to acquire Indiana center Roy Hibbert: A future second-round draft pick, year undisclosed.
— Mike Bresnahan (@Mike_Bresnahan) July 5, 2015
UPDATE (July 4, 2015 at 2:30 PM PST): According to Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report, the trade between the Los Angeles Lakers and Indiana Pacers is complete:
[divide]Hearing the Lakers-Pacers deal is done involving Roy Hibbert. Just a matter of the assets involved now.
— Jared Zwerling (@JaredZwerling) July 4, 2015
Heading into free agency, the Los Angeles Lakers were looking to sign an All-Star frontcourt player to play alongside Kobe Bryant, D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson. Unfortunately, the top free agents either remained with their teams or signed elsewhere.
— Have you seen the ‘Lakers Nation’ phone case? —
According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, the Lakers and Pacers are ‘actively discussing’ a trade surrounding former All-Star center, Roy Hibbert:
ESPN sources say that the Lakers and Pacers are actively discussing a trade where L.A. would take Roy Hibbert into salary-cap space
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 4, 2015
After missing out on all of their free-agent targets, Lakers are talking trade with Pacers which would land them the former All-Star center
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 4, 2015
Hibbert’s contract is set to expire following the upcoming season and would definitely give the Lakers the big man they’ve desperately tried to after this summer. Obtaining an asset such as Hibbert would go a long way in keeping the team’s rebuild in tact and keeping the team’s options next off-season open. He’s made the All-Star Game twice with the Pacers having played in 2012 and 2014.
Hibbert has established himself as one of the elite rim protectors in the NBA. Over the course of his seven-year career, he has averaged 11.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks. He would fit in nicely alongside Julius Randle in the Lakers frontcourt with the second year player still trying to adjust to the speed of the professional level.
The Lakers currently have limited options when it comes to adding another frontcourt player to their roster. In addition to Hibbert, the Lakers have been reportedly interested in free agents Kosta Koufos, Amar’e Stoudimire, and Jason Smith. Hibbert is assumed to be the best talent out of their targets and an ideal fit.
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