Despite the Los Angeles Lakers' recent interest in acquiring former wing Trevor Ariza from the Phoenix Suns, Stan Van Gundy doesn't think there is any need for him. Therefore, Van Gundy saw no point in trading away Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to acquire another 3-and-D veteran to plug into their system.
“The Lakers' season is going very well right now, I don't think they need to do anything,” said Van Gundy. “I certainly wouldn't give up a player to try to get a player. I don't like the idea of trading KCP to create room for Trevor Ariza. I don't like that.
I think they'd be better off just playing the buyout market when it happens in March, as long as they can hang in the race the way they are now.”
Stan Van Gundy has a different idea for the #LakeShow. pic.twitter.com/xn80Id8EJp
— ESPN Los Angeles (@ESPNLosAngeles) December 13, 2018
Two things worthy of consideration are that Caldwell-Pope has played most of his career under Van Gundy, and there is a certain appreciation and nostalgia coming from his old coach. The second is that Van Gundy, despite being dubbed “the master of panic,” is from an old school of thought that a franchise shouldn't “fry its pistons” before approaching the end of the race.
The Lakers would virtually be trading a player to acquire another one with a very similar skill set, hoping this one pans out due to his veteran leadership and experience. Yet Los Angeles, the team seeking to acquire, could lose assets in the process — and all for the sake of a role player working out better than the last.
LeBron James has catapulted the Lakers to a comfortable fifth place in the Western Conference at 17-10, but they should keep an eye on peaking at the right time, as there are still 55 more games to play and a lot of ups and downs to overcome throughout the season.
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