The Los Angeles Lakers are three games below .500 at 24-27, and roster moves need to happen if the franchise hopes to make a serious push for the title this season.
Two nuggets of news dropped Wednesday involving the buyout market and a possible trade the Lakers could make.
Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report has the details:
The Lakers are searching to find Kent Bazemore a new home after he opened the season as a starter. And while it’s believed Paul Millsap would prefer to land in Chicago, having a connection to Bulls lead executive Arturas Karnisovas from their shared Denver days, Los Angeles has been mentioned as a suitor for Millsap should he reach the buyout market.
Bazemore’s news isn’t surprising. He’s been linked to a trade for about a month now, though it’s not clear which NBA team would want his services. He showed against the Charlotte Hornets he still has gas in the tank as a 3-and-D role player, and those are always wanted around the league.
The other is Paul Millsap, the longtime veteran who wants out of the Brooklyn Nets. The soon-to-be 37-year-old small-ball big man wants a bigger role with a new team. He last played on Jan. 13. Before that, Millsap appeared in 24 games and averaged 3.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 0.5 blocks in 11.2 minutes per game. He shot 37.6% overall and 22.2% from deep.
The Lakers would have competition with the Chicago Bulls for his signature, but there’s a role for Millsap on this team. He could slot in at the 4 or 5 depending on if LeBron James and Anthony Davis are playing. Trevor Ariza, 36, hasn’t worked the way L.A. hoped, but there’s also no guarantee Millsap would be any better.
L.A. will definitely be linked to more names as the trade deadline nears.
