The Los Angeles Lakers reportedly are weighing three different paths for a potential trade this season, according to The Athletic’s Jovan Buha.
Los Angeles’ options include a potential Russell Westbrook trade, moving Kendrick Nunn and Patrick Beverley in a package deal or doing two separate deals to fix the roster.
The Lakers are weighing three different paths for a potential trade, per @jovanbuha
“Path 1 is to trade Russell Westbrook…Path 2 is to trade some combination of Patrick Beverley, Kendrick Nunn and picks…Path 3 would be two separate deals” pic.twitter.com/Sz2qxT4PdP
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) December 1, 2022
The Lakers have been rumored to be interested in making a trade for quite some time, but general manager Rob Pelinka has been patient in his approach so far this season.
It seems like that may be starting to pay off, as the Lakers have turned things around after an awful start to the 2022-23 season. Los Angeles lost 10 of its first 12 games this season, but the team has gone 6-2 since then to move into the No. 13 spot in the Western Conference.
With the West looking ultracompetitive this season, the Lakers actually are just three games out of the No. 6 seed heading into Thursday night’s action.
Beverley was tabbed as a potential trade candidate in an earlier report, as the veteran guard is struggling from beyond the arc and carries a $13 million salary that could be easy to match in a deal.
Beverley is averaging just 4.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game while shooting 26.8 percent from the field and 23.4 percent from beyond the arc this season.
He may be a better trade candidate than Westbrook if the Lakers are trying to win, as the former MVP has reinvented himself in a bench role this season. Westbrook has become a productive player for the Lakers, and he’s averaging 15.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game in the 2022-23 campaign.
Ultimately, whatever path Pelinka decides will be based on what he thinks will give Anthony Davis and LeBron James the best chance to win.
James and Davis led the Lakers to an NBA title in the 2019-20 season, but injuries have held the duo back in the past two seasons.
This season, both players are playing at a high level, and Davis’ scoring has been integral in the Lakers’ recent 6-2 stretch.
There is still plenty of time for the Lakers to make a deal, and it’s possible things start to heat up in the trade market once players who signed in free agency this past offseason can be dealt on Dec. 15.
