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The Los Angeles Lakers have emerged as the frontrunners to snatch second-year forward Marquese Chriss from the Phoenix Suns, according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. Chriss had recently been suspended by the team, stemming from an altercation with an assistant coach.
The severity of it seemed to be enough for him to lose his starting spot at power forward, as Dragan Bender logged a whopping 38 minutes in a loss to the Lakers on Tuesday, while Chriss only played 19 minutes coming off the bench.
Whatever turmoil has been brewing between the two sides seems to be enough to cause a fissure past the point of repair, as the Suns have been aggressive pitching their young forward in the trade market.
The Suns recently bought out Greg Monroe and will likely be looking to make some of that money back in any trade they make.
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The Lakers have Julius Randle, Larry Nance Jr. and rookie Kyle Kuzma at power forward — making it likely for one of them to go in hopes to avoid a logjam at the position.
Center Brook Lopez has not worked out as intended after being the centerpiece of the D'Angelo Russell trade with the Brooklyn Nets over the summer, and could also be a potential part of the package if they choose to involve multiple pieces in the trade.
With teams desperate to acquire young talent, some might prefer a second-year player than investing in a draft pick years down the road, which could easily turn into a dud without due diligence.
