Los Angeles Lakers: 5 Likeliest Players To Not Be With Team After Trade Deadline

Luol Deng/Timofey Mozgov

The Lakers’ biggest free agent acquisitions this past offseason were Deng and Mozgov. Both players signed four-year deals with Deng’s worth $72 million and $64 million, respectively. Both were signed to help bring the younger players around, but both are players the team would like to trade.

Deng and Mozgov began the season in the starting five but have since been removed. Deng has remained in the rotation, but Mozgov has played only 10:35 in the five games prior to the All-Star break, all coming in one game. The Lakers have moved Brandon Ingram and Tarik Black into the starting unit and elevated Ivica Zubac into a rotation spot over Mozgov as well.

Unsurprisingly, there has been little interest on the trade market in either player. Deng showed last season that he can thrive at power forward and would be a solid pickup for a team looking for wing depth. Mozgov is a serviceable center and doesn’t look to be in the Lakers’ plans any longer.

While neither player is garnering interest on their own, the Lakers could look to pair them with one of their more attractive assets if they really want to try moving one. It would more than likely lessen the return package, but it would help the Lakers begin clearing their books down the road when younger players are up for contract extensions.