Most Trade-able Lakers

The NBA Trade Deadline is about a month away (Feb 19th) and we have already seen a flurry of activity from teams like Cleveland, Oklahoma City, and Dallas, who have added a little extra firepower for a playoff run.  Of course we have also seen teams like Boston and New York do the opposite, dealing away talented players in order to build for the future and obtain a few more ping pong balls in the lottery.

The Lakers, meanwhile, find themselves in a precarious position.  They currently have the 4th-worst record in the league, and only keep their draft pick if it ends up 1-5, otherwise it goes to Phoenix thanks to the Steve Nash disaster.  Logic says that they should deal anyone who isn't part of the long-term plan for picks or young assets who need to develop, which would help the Lakers have a better chance of keeping their pick.  In other words they should tank, and tank hard.

However, the Buss family have been vocal detractors of the tanking strategy employed by teams like Philadelphia and Boston.  They don't believe tanking works, and feel like losing their pick this year isn't a big deal because it means they would keep their pick in 2016 (retaining the 2015 pick means Phoenix gets the Lakers 2016 pick unless it is in the top 3). 

Complicating matters is the presence of Kobe Bryant, who is nearing the end of his Hall of Fame career.  The Lakers would love to give Kobe one more chance at winning a championship by partnering him with a superstar who can act as the heir to the throne.  They thought they had that player when they traded for Dwight Howard, but when the going got tough he turned tail and ran.  For now they are still searching for that next star to help Kobe ride off into the sunset.

 Strengthening the case that the Lakers are anti-tanking (in spite of their record) is the list of players that they have reportedly been interested in trading for this season: Brandon Jennings, Greg Monroe, Brook Lopez, Rajon Rondo, and Dion Waiters.  Acquiring any of them would not represent a tanking move, especially considering the fact that the Lakers were using the 2015 first round pick that they received from Houston in the Jeremy Lin deal as bait.  Tanking teams rarely, if ever, part with picks.

That being said, it would appear that the Lakers are looking to acquire younger quasi-stars in any trade rather than draft picks.  Just who are they looking to deal in order to obtain such a player?  Here are the 5 Lakers who are most likely to be traded:

***Carlos Boozer would top this list but league rules say he cannot be traded because he was claimed off of waivers.  Lakers fans can breathe a sigh of relief, Boozer will be shooting rainbow-jumpers and flexing to the crowd when the team is down 20 for the rest of the season.

5. Ed Davis- Davis was one of the best bargain signings of the summer when the Lakers nabbed him on a 2-year deal worth $2 million with a player option after the first year.  He won a starting role over Carlos Boozer part of the way into the season and hasn't looked back since.  While he isn't a star on either end of the court his rebounding, rim protection, and efficient finishing would be coveted by a number of teams. 

However, at 25 Davis is the kind of young player the Lakers want to hang on to.  His contract is essentially an expiring deal, as chances are slim to none that he picks up his second year option (he is using the same strategy Nick Young did last year, signing a below-value deal and putting up numbers on a bad team for a year, then cashing in).  As a result teams won't be willing to give as much for him as they would if he was signed on a cheap deal long-term.  Ed Davis at $1 million is an incredible bargain, but if retaining him next season means paying him $7-9 million next year?  Some teams will not be interested in doing that. 

It also has to be said that the Lakers landing Davis at such a cheap price in the first place was likely due to his agent, Rob Pelinka, who also represents Kobe Bryant, Carlos Boozer, and Wesley Johnson, in addition to former Laker Chris Kaman.  As a result he has a good relationship with Lakers management and likely agreed to Davis' well below-value deal knowing that playing big minutes for the Lakers would provide the exposure necessary for Ed to land a more lucrative, long-term contract in the future.  Trading him now would go back on the good-faith, win-win deal that the agent and the team struck this summer, particularly if Davis were to be sent to a team that would use him sparingly off the bench. 

The Lakers also have the inside-track to bring Davis back long-term as they did with Nick Young last year, and having a good working relationship with his agent means that they should be able to find a solid number that would give Davis a substantial raise while still offering good value to the team.  That said it only takes one team throwing crazy money at Ed to derail everything and put the Lakers in an uncomfortable position of either overpaying or watching yet another talented big man leave in free agency.

With all that said an Ed Davis trade is unlikely, but never say never in the NBA.  If the Lakers decide that they don't want to risk losing Davis for nothing this summer or that they don't want to pay him his going rate when his contract is up they might move him now if they can find a deal that is worth rocking the boat with his agent.

4. Nick Young- Swaggy P has had his ups and downs this year but his scoring off the bench and ability to create his own shot can be very valuable.  Unlike Ed Davis though, who would draw interest from both contending and rebuilding teams, Young's market will likely be limited to teams who are looking to contend for the title and feel that bench scoring is their biggest weakness.

For what he provides Young is signed to a solid deal that pays him just over $16 million over the next three seasons.  While he may not be the best defender or playmaker out there his skills in these areas have improved beyond what his reputation suggests.  He could fit well as a contender in a role similar to the one that Jamal Crawford enjoys with the Clippers, coming in to spark the bench and also close out games. 

For the Lakers the problem with trading Young is that the fans have taken a liking to his, well, swagger.  On any given night he's a threat to get hot and carry the offense all on his own, and he plays the game with a flair that can be a lot of fun to watch.  He is a player that's hard not to like and he connects with the fans.  These are things that could prove valuable once Kobe retires after next season and attendance drops.  As such, he may have more value to the Lakers than he does to other teams.

See what I mean?

Still, if the right deal for a young quasi-star comes along the Lakers shouldn't hesitate to part with Young's swag.

3.  Jeremy Lin- Linsanity hasn't made an appearance in LA after all.  While no one expected Lin to return to the numbers that he put up during that magical run in New York the general consensus was that the Houston offense wasn't a great fit for him and that a change of scenery would allow him to better fulfill his potential. 

However, it would appear that we were very, very wrong.  That's not to say that Lin is a terrible player, but most expected him to prove that he was a starting-caliber point guard and to be an aggressive, attacking presence on the offensive end.  Instead Lin has looked unsure of himself, struggling to fit in playing alongside Kobe and unable to provide the kind of defense that Byron Scott needs from him. 

The fact that he lost his starting job to Ronnie Price, a journeyman who was a long-shot to even make the roster, doesn't help Lin's case either.   This is especially troubling since this is the now the second team on which Lin has lost his starting role to a defense-first guard who struggles offensively. 

It's doubtful that the Lakers will want to bring him back next season, but given his struggles to find a footing in LA who is going to want him?  Fortunately for the Lakers advanced statistics are a thing and most of his numbers are on par with the ones that he produced in Houston, where he was considered to be at least a solid backup. 

Given the league-wide depth at the point guard position it's unlikely that the Lakers find a team desperate to add Lin.  Ideally they might be able to find a team that would like to audition Lin in a backup role and would part with a young, under-utilized player in order to do so (similar to the Steve Blake for Kent Bazemore and MarShon Brooks deal last year).   Moving Lin would also free up playing time for Jordan Clarkson, who the Lakers need to find minutes for to aid his development.

 

Jeremy Lin is also a large expiring contract ($15 million this year but just over $7 million counts towards the cap) so it's possible he could be used in a deal to take back the massive salary of a disgruntled star, similar to the way Kwame Brown's expiring contract helped bring in Pau Gasol years ago.  Those deals are rare these days but it is still an option. 

2. Jordan Hill- Jordan Hill and his dreadlocks have played inconsistently this year but overall he's shown himself to be a starting-quality PF/C .  He can stretch the defense just enough with his 20-foot jumper to create space on the offensive end while providing excellent rebounding.  His rim protection leaves something to be desired but he can be a presence as a weak-side shot blocker.

Statistically Hill has regressed a little since last season, giving some credence to Mike D'Antoni's assertion that Hill plays better in limited minutes when he can fully expend his energy in shorter bursts.  Still, he would be an excellent big man for a contending team to scoop up and use in a platoon with a couple of other solid interior players. 

For the Lakers moving Hill seems to be a no-brainer, as the team isn't going anywhere this season and it remains to be seen if they will want to bring him back next year.  They also have a log-jam in the front court since the acquisition of Tarik Black.  Hill and the untradeable Carlos Boozer are eating up a lot of minutes, and some need to be freed up for younger guys like Black, Ryan Kelly, Robert Sacre, and Ed Davis.  The situation has been so bad that Kelly has had to play small forward in order to get on the floor and Sacre, a young center on a cheap contract, has seen his playing time disappear completely. 

The tricky part of trading Jordan Hill is his contract.  He makes $9 million this year and has a team option for $9 million next season, but unless the option is picked up he is treated as a player on a one year contract, and as such has a de facto no-trade clause.  The team receiving him would not be able to go over the salary cap in order to resign Hill next year, so he would have to agree to any trade unless the second year option is picked up. 

Hill, for his part, has zero incentive to accept a trade that doesn't involve the second year of his deal being picked up.  He is the starting center for the league's most popular franchise, which means his exposure can't get any better.  As a player who is currently on an expiring deal putting up numbers and getting lots of minutes on a bad team can be very lucrative (just ask Nick Young). 

Even so, the Lakers should be able to find a team willing to pick up the option and pay Hill $9 million next year.  With the salary cap rising his deal isn't a bad one, and several teams have need of another big man.  The only question is whether or not the Lakers asking price will be met.  They won't give him away as being able to bring him back next year with their team option provides insurance should they strike out on free agents this summer.  Plus at 27 Hill  isn't past his prime and would be a solid player to have going forward, so the Lakers won't be desperate to deal him unless they get the right offer.

Ultimately though it makes too much sense to not get a deal done.  The Lakers need the minutes for younger players and Hill has value around the league.  If the Lakers can find a team willing to part with a young wing player they will pull the trigger and enjoy the roster balance that comes with it. 

    

1. Steve Nash- That's right, Steve Nash is still on the Lakers roster..well, his contract is anyway.  The man himself has distanced himself from the team following the preseason announcement that he would miss the season due to nerve issues in his back.

This confirmed what fans already knew: that Nash's career was over, and that Nash should have retired medically (with full pay) last season.  Had he done so his contract would have come off the Lakers books and given them more money to spend last summer.  Nash admitted that he wanted to be paid the remaining $9 million on his contract, but since medical retirement would have provided him just that his decision to not go that route comes off as malicious.  He is now something of a villain in Laker Land (and a hero in Phoenix), but he just may prove useful to the Lakers in spite of his efforts.

Since Nash is missing the season for medical reasons the bulk of his expiring deal is being paid by insurance, which means that any team trading for his contract would not only be getting an expiring deal but also one that will cost them only a fraction of what the deal is actually worth.

 

Teams looking to dump a large contract to save money can't do much better than that, and it appears as though the Lakers are determined to get something useful out of Steve Nash after all.  Most trades that the Lakers are rumored to be pursuing involve a package of Nash's contract and Houston's 1st round pick, with the goal being to acquire a young talent in return.  Should the Lakers be unsuccessful in that endeavor they may be forced to switch their focus and use Nash's deal to absorb an ugly contract while picking up draft picks as compensation, which just may be the better course for them in the long run anyway. 

Regardless of the outcome the Lakers will explore every opportunity to turn Nash's contract into something valuable, making him the most likely Laker to be traded by the deadline.  

Want more Laker news and analysis?  Follow me on twitter @16ringsNBA!