Before the Detroit Pistons traded for veteran forward Bojan Bogdanovic, the Los Angeles Lakers were seen as one of the most likely landing spots for the 33-year-old.
Bogdanovic was a member of the Utah Jazz, and the Jazz are still in the process of unloading veteran talent as they shift towards a complete roster rebuild.
Though the Pistons were able to acquire Bogdanovic in exchange for Kelly Olynyk and Saben Lee, the Lakers reportedly offered a much more enticing package.
According to a recent report, the Lakers offered a first-round draft pick for Bogdanovic. However, what held up the trade was the Lakers’ lack of desire to take on long-term contracts as part of the deal.
“One of those options — to Utah — vaporized last week when the Jazz dealt forward Bojan Bogdanovic to Detroit,” wrote Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times. “The Lakers, said people with knowledge of the situation who weren’t authorized to speak publicly, were willing to include a first-round pick in a trade for the shooter, but the team continued to balk at taking on long-term contracts — a sign that maintaining salary-cap space next summer remains one of the top priorities.”
It’s hard to know what other players the Jazz wanted to include in the deal, but it is clear that the Lakers are trying to keep their books as free as possible for next summer.
Though it is unclear precisely who the Lakers hope to pursue next summer, star guard Kyrie Irving does seem to be on the team’s wish list.
The Lakers tried to trade for Irving earlier this offseason, and while the possibility of that deal getting done appears off the table for now, Irving is scheduled to become a free agent next summer, and the Lakers could go all in on trying to land him.
Still, that doesn’t solve the Lakers’ current issues. After a deeply disappointing 2021-22 season in which they missed the playoffs entirely, the Lakers have not done enough to contend in the upcoming campaign.
Adding players like Patrick Beverley and Dennis Schroder are moves in the right direction, but they are not seen as enough to lift the team back to glory.
As for Bogdanovic, he would have given the Lakers a dynamic scoring option in the frontcourt. He would have arguably become the team’s best 3-point shooter if the Lakers had managed to acquire him.
Now that the dust has settled on the Bogdanovic trade, other trade options have been discussed for the Lakers. One option that’s been discussed recently includes a swap of Russell Westbrook for San Antonio Spurs veterans Josh Richardson and Doug McDermott.
Another potential deal that’s been mentioned presumably includes Indiana Pacers veterans Buddy Hield and Myles Turner.
It’s likely that the Lakers would have to part ways with one or two future first-round picks to get either of those deals done.
Though the Lakers may enter the 2022-23 season with the roster they have now, moves could happen quickly if the team sputters out of the gate.
