The Los Angeles Lakers are looking to make some moves ahead of the 2022 NBA trade deadline. To the surprise of very few people, the decisions that they made to their roster during the offseason have not panned out as well as they had hoped.
The most egregious error in judgment, it would seem, was the acquisition of Russell Westbrook from the Washington Wizards. Given his massive contract and their unwillingness, at least for now, to attach any assets to him, it would seem that the Lakers are stuck with Westbrook for the time being.
Los Angeles only has two players, Talen Horton-Tucker and Kendrick Nunn, that are on contracts between a max deal and veteran’s minimum. That makes creating trade packages very difficult, as the Lakers are lacking draft capital to sweeten a package with.
As a result, they will likely be looking to improve on the edges via trade, unless a team is enticed by a package of Horton-Tucker, Nunn and 2027 first-round pick. One player that could be on the move is Kent Bazemore.
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According to Bleacher Report, the organization is searching for a new home to send Bazemore. While he began the season in the starting lineup, he has been buried on the depth chart, receiving very few opportunities to play despite the team battling some injuries.
Kent Bazemore is playing on a veteran’s minimum contract, as he turned down more money from the Golden State Warriors to join the Lakers. While he isn’t in their rotation, some teams should have an interest in him.
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With the Warriors last season, Bazemore knocked down 40.8 percent of his 3-point attempts. He is still knocking down 37.1 percent of his chances this season, as he could provide a team with some floor spacing on the wing.
If the Los Angeles Lakers can find a taker for him, they could opt to leave the roster spot open. In the update from Bleacher Report, it was also noted that the team could have interest in Paul Millsap should he be bought out by the Brooklyn Nets.
