With nearly two months of the 2022-23 NBA season in the books, trade season is nearing, and the Los Angeles Lakers are looking to make a big splash.
They need improved depth at both forward positions, as well as improved 3-point shooting to get closer to becoming a true championship contender.
The team has won nine of its last 13 games and there is a sense it is finding itself, yet it doesn’t have enough pieces to maximize its strengths.
According to one report, the Lakers are zeroing in on three forwards they hope can plug some holes.
Via Lakers Daily:
“Los Angeles is reportedly prioritizing shooting in its conversations with other teams, which is obviously an area where the Lakers have plenty of room for improvement.
“‘Following a 2-10 start, the Los Angeles Lakers, now 11-15 and three games out of sixth place, have turned their season around and are seen as a key team in the trade market this season,’ wrote Shams Charania of The Athletic. ‘The Lakers are prioritizing shooting in their conversations with teams, and have discussed packages including salaries and a protected first-round pick for Detroit’s Bojan Bogdanovic, league sources, who were granted anonymity so that they could speak freely, tell The Athletic. They’ve also discussed concepts involving New York’s Cam Reddish and Evan Fournier, sources said.'”
Bogdanovic is someone L.A. has been interested in dating to the summer. He is having a career season, averaging 21 points a game on 50.8% overall shooting and 43.7% from 3-point range.
Fournier has been viewed as a disappointment by the New York Knicks, and although he has historically been a good 3-point shooter, his accuracy is down this season. Meanwhile, his teammate, Reddish, has been thought to have potential as a 3-and-D player, but hasn’t panned out yet.
