With the NBA season a little under the halfway mark, the trade rumors are beginning to heat up before the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 23.
The Los Angeles Lakers are among the teams that could be active, as after starting the season 10-10 the Lakers have lost 15 of their last 17 games so it looks as if the season may be headed in a different direction than was originally thought.
— Get 15% off everything in the Lakers Nation Store right now by using the promo code ‘Lakers’ —
The Lakers, as always, have been linked to big-name players, but general manager Mitch Kupchak recently stated his uncertainty about making a move.
With Larry Nance Jr. currently out with a knee injury, the Lakers current needs lie in the frontcourt. But according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insider, the Lakers are not overly interested in change at the moment, especially if it required trading one of their young players like Jordan Clarkson:
My understanding is Lakers not overly interested in change. This was a building year, maybe they do it in the summer, doubtful at deadline https://t.co/Cbt7o5X27T
— Steve Kyler (@stevekylerNBA) January 2, 2017
Clarkson’s name has been floated around a bit, as he is having another strong season for Los Angeles. Clarkson accepted a bench role at the beginning of the season and currently ranks third among scorers off the bench at 13.9 points per game.
There is still over a month before the deadline, so Kupchak and his staff are not in any rush to make a move right now, but if the right move were to present itself then it is possible that Los Angeles makes a move.
It is also possible that if the losing continues at the pace that it has in recent weeks then, Kupchak could look to trade some of the team’s veteran players in exchange for draft picks or young talent to continue the rebuilding process, but that remains to be seen.
