There has been a lot of pressure on the Los Angeles Lakers to make a trade to upgrade the roster around LeBron James and Anthony Davis this NBA season to help them turn back into a playoff team. Rob Pelinka has said that he will do whatever it takes to make the team a winner, but the kind of trade they have been seeking has yet to materialize.
Los Angeles has been linked to a few different players, such as Myles Turner and Buddy Hield of the Indiana Pacers and Bojan Bogdanovic of the Detroit Pistons.
It can be argued that none of those trade targets would help get the Lakers over the hump and wouldn’t be worth parting ways with their last two remaining assets, a 2027 and 2029 first-round pick.
Including a protected future first-round pick is something that they have been willing to do, but teams are looking for unprotected picks in return. A package of Patrick Beverley, Kendrick Nunn and a future first-round pick isn’t garnering much traction on the trade market.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Cam Reddish, New York Knicks & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
Recently, another trade target has emerged for the team that should be cheaper to acquire. Cam Reddish of the New York Knicks is someone that was connected to the Lakers a few months ago and his name is coming up again as they remain very intrigued by him.
“There are people within the organization very intrigued by New York Knicks forward Cam Reddish — a 6-foot-8, 23-year-old wing — who would give the Lakers size on the perimeter, a massive need. He’s also a former lottery pick, the kind of reclamation project the Lakers have had some success with this year with a player like Lonnie Walker IV.
League sources say the Knicks are seeking a protected first-round pick for Reddish (they sent one to Atlanta in the deal to acquire him — and the Hawks subsequently used it in their trade for Dejounte Murray). Reddish isn’t currently in the Knicks rotation so the asking price is expected to eventually dip.”
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Cam Reddish, New York Knicks & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
Reddish was removed from the rotation after the Knicks had an embarrassing performance against the Dallas Mavericks on December 3rd. The rotation change by Tom Thibodeau, which also included Derrick Rose losing his minutes, led to an eight-game winning streak that likely saved some people their jobs.
When in the lineup, Reddish showcased the tantalizing potential that he has. He has the tools to be a great defender with his combinations of length and athleticism, but his motor is somewhat inconsistent. Offensively, he showed that he was one of the few players on the roster that could get to the rim and finish with consistency.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Cam Reddish, New York Knicks & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
A larger role and more playing time were what he originally cited as his reason for asking for a trade from the Atlanta Hawks. The Knicks acquired him and he landed in an even tougher situation to come across minutes.
In Los Angeles, that wouldn’t be an issue as rotation minutes should be relatively easy to come by given their struggles on the season.
