Despite losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night, there's still no denying that LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are on quite a roll right now. It feels like they're on the cusp of being relevant again, and it's only a matter of time before this team emerges as a contender — or at least this is what Lakers fans are hoping for right now.
For whatever it's worth, NBA guru Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN believes that if anything, what this recent run has provided the Lakers with is some much-needed time. Woj believes that the pressure for LA to pull the trigger on a blockbuster trade has eased off a bit thanks to their recent play. However, the renowned NBA insider also noted that the Lakers are still in the market for a potential trade for a superstar-caliber player:
“I think this stretch has bought them a little bit of time now to really not have to rush into anything,” Woj said. “… Their strategy remains the same, which is, we know what their assets are: the '27 and '29 unprotected first-round picks. They're not going to use the picks unless they can get back essentially an All-Star-level player. And it remains to be seen if those kind of players are available at the deadline.”
Woj then noted that the Chicago Bulls and their current situation has drawn the interest of the Lakers:
“Like a lot of teams, I think the Lakers will watch Chicago (to) see if that is an organization that decides it might pivot before the trade deadline,” Woj said.
"I think this stretch has bought them a little bit of time now to really not have to rush into anything… Their strategy remains the same… They're not going to use the picks unless they can get back an All-Star level player."@wojespn on the Lakers.pic.twitter.com/w2Z8195dTw
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) December 7, 2022
Woj did not specify which players on the Bulls the Lakers are keeping tabs on, but in terms of “All-Star-level players” you have to look at the likes of Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic, and of course, DeMar DeRozan, who himself was heavily linked to the Lakers before he opted to sign with Chicago as a free agent last year.
The Bulls are in a bit of a tough spot right now in that they have to make a decision if they want to stick with their current roster or if they want to hit the reset button by completely blowing up their team. If they opt for the latter, then the Lakers will likely be one of the first teams to call Chicago's front office to discuss a potential trade.
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