Lakers new Rules state that…
Lakers mailbag: D’Angelo Russell rumors, trade interest in Dejounte Murray, and Darvin Ham’s future
In my opinion, Christie is more important because, even if he still needs some seasoning, he has demonstrated that he can be a winger suitable for rotation before turning 21. Christie’s inclusion in trade negotiations is being requested by other clubs, but the Lakers are unwilling to give him up.
Hood-Schifino has been doing well in the G League, but the Lakers are still optimistic about his long-term growth. He hasn’t yet shown his full potential in NBA competition. It doesn’t help that Jaime Jaquez Jr. of Miami, Brandin Podziemski of Golden State, and Cam Whitmore of Houston, the three guys selected just after him, have all had excellent seasons. But the Lakers are unable to
mailbag: D’Angelo Russell rumors, trade interest in Dejounte Murray, and Darvin Ham’s future
The Los Angeles Lakers completed their January home-heavy schedule with a 141-132 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena, good for a 6-4 home record and 6-6 overall.
With less than two weeks until the trade deadline on February 8th, Los Angeles is at 23-23 and faces a difficult six-game trip due to the Grammy Awards. Will they act before the expiration date? Is D’Angelo Russell still available in light of his most recent performance? Austin Reaves, what about him? Is Darvin Ham’s job secure?
I wanted to perform a Q&A to address a lot of the inquiries I’ve been receiving lately because it has been a minute. This is Part 1 of 2, where I discuss the Lakers’ pursuit of Dejounte Murray of Atlanta.
The Lakers think Murray would produce offensively on par with Russell, but obviously less frequently from 3-point range and less adept at creating plays. However, Murray is the better athlete, penetration, and defender—all traits the Lakers need to have more of in their lineup. Murray has improved recently, much like Russell. In his last 13 games, he has averaged 24.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 0.8 steals. Murray has also nailed two game-winning shots. Additionally, considering his productivity and pedigree, he’s secured for future seasons at a fair cost with about four years and $114 million remaining on his agreement.
The Lakers think Murray would produce offensively on par with Russell, but obviously less frequently from 3-point range and less adept at creating plays. However, Murray is the better athlete, penetration, and defender—all traits the Lakers need to have more of in their lineup. Murray has improved recently, much like Russell. In his last 13 games, he has averaged 24.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 0.8 steals. Murray has also nailed two game-winning shots. Additionally, considering his productivity and pedigree, he’s secured for future seasons at a fair cost with about four years and $114 million remaining on his agreement.
Russell makes more sense if the Lakers must part ways with one of their starting guards, even if he outperformed Reaves for stretches of the season (mostly the first and last). Reaves has greater worth across the league, which is why every team want him first. The Lakers share the same opinion, ultimately favoring Reaves over Russell. Sources within the squad claim that Russell’s heater hasn’t altered this fact.
It’s necessary to unpack the second point. For the next season, Russell has a $18.7 million player option. Although that number makes sense, it also presents a problem. Russell would probably utilize his player option if he regressed. If he continues to play well, he may decide to opt out, which would require the Lakers to give him a higher salary.
To put it succinctly, sure. The extended response, however, is more complex. Reaves is not invulnerable, as I mentioned last week. The Lakers would include him in trades to obtain certain players. They might consider dealing Reaves if they could get several high-level starters in a larger trade, or if they could add a legitimate third star to complement James and Davis, like as Utah All-Star Lauri Markannen.
Players in a comparable bracket, like as Murray, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and others, do not meet the requirements. They are competent, but not the game-changing players the Lakers need to part with Reaves.
Reaves is playing better than expected for his $12 million salary this season, and the Lakers have a deal with him that guarantees him $27 million over the course of at least two more seasons, regardless of your view of him. He has one of the league’s top role-player contracts. The Lakers won’t part with him unless they make a major roster upgrade, since none of the existing trades would get them there.
Which player—Austin Reaves, D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, Taurean Prince, or Cam Reddish—has a higher chance of being traded? — @SSBKlutch
My ranking would be Russell, Hachimura, Prince,
Some Lakers players think the team should make two moves instead of just one. That’s also the direction I incline more toward. The objectives that Murray and Brown are aiming for are rather lofty. It seems more plausible to loop in either Royce O’Neale or Dominican Finney-Smith from the Brooklyn wings.
When wing play appears to be the more obvious problem, why are the Lakers focusing on guard targets? — @_otbj
I think this is a wonderful question since I’m not really sure what I’m thinking. The perfect trade target, in my opinion, would be a superior 3-and-D wing who can start in lieu of Prince and offer the right combination of shooting, defense, and rebounding. Although those players are costly and difficult to locate, there are several — Brown,
Do you believe the Lakers are considering making a secret deal? Perhaps something that really nobody is discussing? — @shel9x
That is certainly possible, if not likely, in my opinion. Several names that they were heavily associated to and chased in the past—Myles Turner, Buddy Hield, Bojan Bogdanović, and Kyrie Irving, to mention a few—did not work out in the end for a variety of reasons.
Weeks before to that transaction, there was a stir around the Russell Westbrook trade, with Utah being a known candidate and maybe a third club involved. The only thing that surprised me was Russell returning to the Lakers and Minnesota becoming that third team.
There are moments when smoke is just smoke. There is literally fire sometimes. We’ll
Is Jalen Hood-Schifino or Max Christie worth more to clubs in trade? — @twoweekswithpay
In my opinion, Christie is more important because, even if he still needs some seasoning, he has demonstrated that he can be a winger suitable for rotation before turning 21. Christie’s inclusion in trade negotiations is being requested by other clubs, but the Lakers are unwilling to give him up.
Hood-Schifino has been doing well in the G League, but the Lakers are still optimistic about his long-term growth. He hasn’t yet shown his full potential in NBA competition. It doesn’t help that Jaime Jaquez Jr. of Miami, Brandin Podziemski of Golden State, and Cam Whitmore of Houston, the three guys selected just after him, have all had excellent seasons. But the Lakers are unable to.
