Contending NBA teams are always looking for ways to upgrade their roster throughout the season. For a team such as the Los Angeles Lakers, that is easier said than done.
The buyout market is always one option, but if the Lakers were looking to make a trade to upgrade the team around LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, and Anthony Davis, they will be hard-pressed to find a deal. There just aren’t many options for Los Angeles to make a deal.
They have virtually zero draft capital, as a lot of that was shipped to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for Anthony Davis. They have had some preliminary talks around the idea of trading Russell Westbrook, but options are limited when it comes to teams that can or even would want to take him on.
However, if the Lakers are to make a deal, there are reportedly two players that would draw interest from around the league; Talen Horton-Tucker and Kendrick Nunn. Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report shared that those are the only two players on the Lakers’ roster with contracts above the veteran’s minimum that rival front offices believe have any value.
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The 21-year old Talen Horton-Tucker was re-signed by the Lakers as a restricted free agent this past offseason. He is averaging 11.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. A second-round pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, THT is someone that the organization thinks very highly of.
It will cost a decent price to pry him away from Los Angeles. The team would not include him in trade negotiations at last season’s deadline in talks for Kyle Lowry and they are not about to give him away now.
The team is patiently waiting for Nunn to make his debut with the team. Nunn signed with the Lakers this offseason as a free agent, agreeing to a deal worth the mid-level exception.
It was considered one of the biggest steals of the offseason, as many believed Nunn would sign a deal that paid him annually what he will receive for the duration of this deal if he picks up his player option. A bone bruise on the knee has kept Nunn sidelined all season and the team is hopeful he and Trevor Ariza will make their returns soon.
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Nunn will help provide depth at the point guard spot for Westbrook once he gets back in the lineup. He has proven that he can be a source of points for a team, and the Lakers’ second unit could use a spark beyond Carmelo Anthony and Malik Monk.
If the Los Angeles Lakers get desperate enough to make a deal to add talent around LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, and Anthony Davis, it is no surprise that Kendrick Nunn, given his career production and contract, would be an attractive piece for other teams to acquire.
