The Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly exploring ways to upgrade their three-point shooting ahead of the Feb. 10 NBA trade deadline.
According to the latest reporting from HoopsHype's Michael Scotto, Los Angeles vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka has his eyes partially fixated on a sharpshooter north of the border: Toronto Raptors guard Gary Trent Jr.
Here are Scotto's words:
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.
In his age 22 season, Trent Jr. is averaging 16.4 points and 1.9 steals in 33 games. He's shooting 42.1% from the field and a shade under 37% percent from deep.
As Scotto notes, convincing Masaj Ujiri to part with Trent Jr. would be costly considering his age and the Raptors' place in the standings (20-18, eighth in the Eastern Conference).
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Trent Jr. is in the first of a three-year, $51.8 million deal. He counts $16 million against the salary cap in 2021-22. The Lakers can reach that figure with Horton Tucker ($9.5 million) and Nunn ($5 million), though Toronto may want draft compensation, too. The Lakers can offer their 2027 first-round pick or a handful of second-rounders.
Horton-Tucker has had an up-and-down third season (11.0 PPG, .408/.244/.821 splits), though he's played better in recent games. Nunn is yet to debut for Los Angeles due to a bone bruise in his knee. The Lakers rank 14th in three-point percentage.
Nunn is eligible for free agency this summer, which also dampens his value.
The Raptors expressed interest in Horton-Tucker at last season's trade deadline, but the Lakers opted not to include him in a package that would have netted Kyle Lowry.