While the Los Angeles Lakers have been heavily linked with Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving and Indiana Pacers duo Myles Turner and Buddy Hield in the past, it doesn't look like they are going to trade for any of them.
There have been plenty of calls for Rob Pelinka and co. to make some changes after their 2-8 start to the season. Even though they have shown some overall improvement, their issues remain the same. Not only do they need someone who can shoot, but they could really use some help offensively. Through 10 matches, the Purple and Gold have the worst offensive rating in the league at 103.5.
Despite their glaring need and the urgency to take action amid their latest slump, NBA insider Howard Beck of Sports Illustrated said that fans shouldn't expect the team to make any move any time soon.
In his The Crossover podcast with Chris Mannix, Beck claimed that the Lakers are waiting for a “specific player” that they can trade for Russell Westbrook and their two valuable picks (2027 and 2029).
“I will add one thing without going into all the detail, but I was canvassing a bunch of front office folks last week when I was workshopping my idea of ‘Can the Nets tear down now? Should they just tear down now? What could they reasonably get for Kevin Durant? Could they get anything for Kyrie Irving? Could they get anything at all for Ben Simmons?'” Beck shared.
“And in those discussions, when I brought up the Lakers, the pushback I was getting was they’re waiting for a specific player. That they’re not doing the Pacer deal, that they won’t do the Kyrie deal now that we for sure thought they would do a couple months ago, is an indication that the Lakers are waiting for a bigger piece to come loose that they think they can trade Westbrook and the two future firsts for.”
It is worth noting that this report comes after Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that the Lakers could resist trading their first-rounders if their performance and standing don't improve. With that, Pelinka could just make “marginal changes around the edges at best.”
These latest developments signify that the Lakers are staying patient despite their losing streak. Basically, they'll only do something if the right deal comes along. Unfortunately for fans, a Kyrie Irving trade or a deal for Buddy Hield and Myles Turner won't move the needle for them.
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