When it comes to the trade market, there isn’t much that the Los Angeles Lakers are going to be able to do. They used virtually all of their remaining assets to acquire former NBA MVP Russell Westbrook from the Washington Wizards, leaving them hamstrung. But, that doesn’t mean that Rob Pelinka and the front office are going to side around idly.
Los Angeles will search and low for how they can upgrade the roster. One of the players that they have been connected to is Detroit Pistons forward, Jerami Grant. Now, there is another name that has emerged as a potential target; Gary Trent Jr. of the Toronto Raptors.
Michael Scotto of HoopsHype recently shared the upgrade on the Lakers on The HoopsHype Podcast. Los Angeles is doing what it can, but ultimately, Scotto doesn’t believe a trade will get done because of the limited assets they possess.
The Los Angeles Lakers have been doing their due diligence around the league, and expressed interest in Raptors guard Gary Trent Jr., according to league sources. One of several players they’ve checked in on. However, I don’t see a deal happening between those teams at this time since it would likely have to involve Talen Horton-Tucker and Kendrick Nunn from a salaries perspective.
If expressing interest in something is all it took to get a deal done, the Lakers roster would look a lot different than it does. It takes two to tango, and there has been no indication that the Raptors are looking to move on from Trent, whom they acquired at the deadline last year from the Portland Trail Blazers and signed to a three-year deal worth just under $52 million in the offseason.
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Trent would be a nice upgrade for the Lakers should they succeed in acquiring him from the Raptors. They need help on the wing defensively and can never have enough 3-point shooters, two areas that the former Duke product excels in.
On the season, Trent has knocked down 36.8 percent of his 3-point attempts, but he is a 38.6 percent shooter in his career. He is averaging a career-high 16.4 points per game as well, providing the Lakers another consistent source of scoring behind LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony.
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As Scott shared, it would take Talen Horton-Tucker and Kendrick Nunn as a starting spot to come close to matching salaries. Toronto reportedly had an interest in Horton-Tucker at the deadline last season in negotiations centered around Kyle Lowry, but it is unknown if that interest remains.
