Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton has been in the league for a long time and can confidently say that trade rumors affect everyone differently.
Per Ryan Ward of ClutchPoints, Walton was asked how trade rumors affect the dynamic of the team and its players. Currently, the Lakers are in the middle of a spate of trade rumors with the Feb.7 deadline just around the corner.
For Walton, some players involved in such rumors are so bothered by them that they can't play.
Others, meanwhile, do not care at all and go out to the floor and play their heart out.
Luke Walton on how trade rumors can affect a team: "It affects everyone differently. There's just no way to answer that question…" #Lakers
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) February 6, 2019
Luke Walton on trade rumors (2/2): "I've seen & been part of teams where people can't play because of it & I've been on teams where nobody cares. You go out & do your job anyway, so there's not a specific answer to that. It's different for everybody." via @SpectrumSN #Lakers
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) February 6, 2019
Though the Lakers have reportedly pulled out of negotiations for Anthony Davis, it still doesn't mean that the tension is over. Given the Lakers' subpar performance this midway into the season, a strong belief among analysts is that a roster shake-up might ensue.
Since it's pretty apparent that the purple and gold's current roster won't get anything done this season.
And their acquisition of LeBron James over the summer is a clear indication that they want to win now. At the beginning of the season, reports revealed that Magic Johnson wants to keep the young core intact.
But as it's turning out, no one is safe from being inserted into a trade package.
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