Before the NBA trade deadline, the Los Angeles Lakers were aggressively pursuing a trade for veteran swingman Andre Iguodala. However, the Miami Heat were able to acquire Iguodala in a three-team trade from the Memphis Grizzlies.
Now, appearing on the Scoop B Radio Podcast, former Lakers assistant coach Tracy Murray explained why the Lakers needed Iguodala and why missing out on him was a huge blow to the Purple and Gold franchise.
“I would say Igoudala. They need that Championship, MVP, Finals experience,” Murray said when asked who he thinks the Lakers need more between Iggy and Jamal Crawford.
“They need somebody that’s going to lock down defensively. Even though their defense is good, he can add to it. He needs somebody that’s not going to panic in situations during the playoffs. He’s not going to panic. Champions don’t panic. That’s the difference between the people that win and the people that don’t win…champions don’t panic.”
Although the Lakers weren't able to trade for Andre Iguodala, they were able to snag veteran guard Dion Waiters on the buyout market. In addition, they were able to sign Markeiff Morris after reaching a buyout agreement with the Detroit Pistons.
Waiters certainly has the potential to become a solid bench scoring option for the Lakers, thanks to his ability to create his own offense. Moreover, having Morris adds depth to their bench — a crucial factor if they want to make a deep run in the playoffs and go all the way to the NBA Finals — that is if the NBA resumes this 2019-20 campaign.