John Hollinger: Lakers are ‘surely’ making calls about off-ball guards like Marcus Smart, Norman Powell and Derrick White

By Jason Simpson
Updated: December 30, 2021

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Former NBA executive John Hollinger recently made an interesting statement about the Los Angeles Lakers’ involvement in the trade market.

He thinks the team is “surely” making calls about guards who can play off the ball, and he listed a few players to keep an eye on.

“Surely they are making calls about guards who can play off the ball, such as Portland’s Norman Powell, San Antonio’s Derrick White and Boston’s Marcus Smart, but they may need to set their sights a bit lower,” Hollinger wrote.

Powell, White and Smart would be all interesting additions for L.A.

Powell has appeared in 30 games this season for the Portland Trail Blazers and started all of those contests. He’s averaging 18.4 points per game and is a threat from beyond the arc, as he’s shooting 40.5 percent on 3-pointers.

White, meanwhile, has started 33 games this season for the San Antonio Spurs. He’s averaging 14.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game. He’s shooting 42.3 percent from the field despite a poor 29.1 percent clip from deep.

As for Smart, he’s a key player for a struggling Boston Celtics team. He’d bring a lot of energy to L.A. on both ends of the floor.

Smart is averaging 10.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game this season. However, efficiency has been a struggle for him, something that has often been the case throughout his career. This season, he’s shooting 38.9 percent from the field and 28.5 percent from deep.

Time will tell if the Lakers do bring in one of these players. A splash on the trade market could be exactly what L.A. needs to turn its season around.