I Los Angeles Lakers are not sailing in too calm waters, the performance of coach Darvin Ham’s team is in fact rather erratic and the yellow-purple currently occupy 10th place in the West. If the season were to end today, they would be the last franchise to qualify for the Play-in and would have to face two preliminary rounds before they could enter the Playoffs. The roster, which is not too different from the one that reached the Conference Finals last year, could still undergo improvements as they approach the trade deadline, set for Feb. 9.
The first names have also emerged in recent days, particularly for an outfielder given the lackluster performance of Gabe Vincent, now also pitched due to injury, and the up-and-down performance of D’Angelo Russell, a possible starter. According to Shams Charania, the names to watch out for are those of Dejounte Murray (on whom the Bucks would also be on), Bruce Brown, Tyus Jones e Terry Rozier.
They are all players on their way out of their respective teams; Brown, for example, arrived in Toronto a few days ago but will probably leave Canada soon, given the team’s low ambitions. On the former Pacers, traded in the trade for Pascal Siakam, there are also the New York Knicks for whom Brown has expressed appreciation. Indeed, he had stated yesterday that he would be willing to do whatever Tom Thibodeau might ask of him if Toronto were to trade him to the Knicks.
The Lakers have no shortage of players to bring to the table: Russell, but also the disgruntled Rui Hachimura and rookie Jalen Hood-Schifino, as well as future draft picks.
Milan, Italy. A graduate in Labor Management and Communication for Organizations from Catholic University, I founded BasketUniverso in 2011. Yes, I root for Orlando Magic and do my best not to hide it.
