With just over a month until training camp, the Los Angeles Lakers remain focused on improving the roster via trade.
The biggest domino remains Kevin Durant’s trade request, which seems inevitable after Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai tweeted in support of his front office and coaching staff. Along with Durant, Kyrie Irving’s time with the Nets seems like it’s coming to an end as the franchise looks to move on after a tumultuous 2022-23 season.
The Lakers have been the most aggressive team looking to trade for Irving, and now Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported on SportsCenter that they are willing to include both their 2027 and 2029 first-round picks in a deal that would swap Russell Westbrook and Irving:
“The Lakers are still active in trade talks around the league. Rob Pelinka has remained using– listen, they have two real assets to put out there to do a significant trade. That’s their 27 and 2029 first-round picks, if unprotected have a lot of value in the marketplace. The Lakers, I’m told, would be willing to do that in a Kyrie Irving trade but that’s not something the Nets have been interested in.
Outside of Irving, Los Angeles has also had discussions with the Indiana Pacers about Buddy Hield and Myles Turner but they are unwilling to offer both firsts in that scenario:
“One other deal…the Lakers have had some on-and-off-again talks about with Indiana, Myles Turner, Buddy Hield. They have not been willing to give up two future firsts in that deal. Russell Westbrook would be in any of those deals.”
Wojnarowski also added that Rob Pelinka has been busy trying to add more shooting and size to the roster:
“I still think this is a Laker team–Rob Pelinka has still been very active even kind of in the dog days of August. He’s been on the phone a lot, he’s still trying to find deals to bring in more shooting perhaps some size and so I think those conversations continue all the way into training camp and the start of the season. I still think this Laker roster may look maybe not dramatically different but subtly different.”
There was a previous report that the Lakers were coming around on adding both of their available firsts to land Irving, and it seems that is certainly the case now. Irving may be a distraction off the court, but there’s no denying that he raises L.A.’s ceiling considerably. Hield and Turner who depth but not nearly the same level of star power as Irving.
Rob Pelinka preaches patience for remaining offseason business
Pelinka working the phones in search of deals is an encouraging sign, though like all trades they take time. Fans have been frustrated with the lack of moves after the initial flurry of free agency, but Pelinka emphasized patience as he continues to try and improve the roster.
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