Los Angeles Lakers Receive: C Hassan Whiteside, F Glenn Robinson III, MEM 2021 2nd Round Pick
Sacramento Kings Receive: C Marc Gasol, G/F Talen Horton-Tucker
Acquiring Marc Gasol in the offseason looked like a major pickup for the Lakers in their frontcourt because of his two-way play, but Gasol has not looked nearly as good as he has in year’s past and has struggled on both ends of the court for L.A. this season. It seems like father-time is starting to catch up with Gasol, which is why the Lakers could be willing to move on from him after half a season.
He is still a solid veteran player and brings plenty of high-level experience with him, which is why he could be a good fit in Sacramento. They have Richaun Holmes as their starting center, but Gasol could be a great veteran leader for a younger team in this league. No player on the Kings really has much playoff experience outside of Harrison Barnes, which is why Gasol could make a difference for some of the younger players on this roster.
Talen Horton-Tucker on the other hand is a player the Lakers probably do not want to get rid of, but he would be exactly what the Kings would want in return. Horton-Tucker has emerged this year as a great two-way player and at just 20-years old, he could grow into a spectacular wing player for any team.
On the other side of things, the Lakers would be getting the shot-blocker they need in Whiteside, but they would also be getting Glenn Robinson III, who does not get enough credit. He has bounced around from team-to-team over the years and in his 7th season in the league now, Robinson III has proven he can be a reliable defender and a scoring threat offensively.
Los Angeles could definitely utilize veteran and experienced talent on the wing, which is exactly why Glenn Robinson III could become a key role player off-the-bench for them in their second-unit. This is probably not the best trade the Lakers could look to make before the trade deadline, but it is very much an option given their interest in Whiteside over the years.
With that being said, let’s take a deep look as to why this trade makes sense for both the Los Angeles Lakers and the Sacramento Kings.
