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The Los Angeles Lakers’ early season struggles have led to a lot of talk of a possible shake-up within the squad. Russell Westbrook has seen his name thrown around in trade rumors of late, with the Lakers reportedly looking to part ways with the former league MVP.
Moving Westbrook and his gargantuan deal will be a challenge, to say the least. According to Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report, a more straightforward route for LA could possibly come in the form of a Kendrick Nunn trade. In this proposed deal, the Lakers will send Nunn to the Indiana Pacers — a team that is also looking at a potential squad overhaul — in exchange for 6-foot-6 wing Justin Holiday.
For the Lakers, this deal would require them to part ways with Nunn, who as of the moment, has yet to make his debut for LA. The third-year point guard, who has been dealing with a knee injury, signed with the Lakers last summer as a free agent. Nunn put pen to paper on a two-year, $10.3 million deal which many consider to be quite a bargain. The 26-year-old has unfortunately been hampered by injury and as of yet, the Lakers have not seen what he can actually bring to the table for this squad. Right now, though, using him as a trade chip could be a necessary move for the Lakers.
Justin Holiday presents himself as a two-way wing that can not only play defense but more importantly, can space the floor for the Lakers. We all know how important floor-spacers are for this team and in particular, for LeBron James. Adding a player like Holiday will not have a groundbreaking impact on the roster, but there’s also no denying that on paper at least, Holiday could serve as a complementary piece not only for LeBron but for the Big 3 as well.
The Lakers could be making some major changes prior to the deadline, but these are the types of “small” deals that could prove to be pivotal in their objective to turn things around for the second half of the season.