Latest Los Angeles Lakers rumors on LeBron James, trade talks and more
Lakers focusing on two things ahead of trade deadline
Right now, the Lakers are reeling. They’ve been bitten hard by the injury bug, sidelining both LeBron and Lonzo Ball while Kyle Kuzma appears hobbled. As a result, they’ve seen the losses begin to pile up, clouding what once seemed like a clear path to the playoffs.
In turn, the front office has kicked things into high gear ahead of the 2019 NBA Trade Deadline. Desperately in need of something to spark this team, the Lakers have turned their attention to two things as Feb. 7 quickly approaches, according to The Athletic‘s Bill Oram.
The first is a trade to improve the current roster to make the playoffs and help the Lakers save face. The second is a blockbuster deal to land Los Angeles a second superstar.
We always knew the latter was the plan of attack for Magic and co. It was assumed James needed a co-star to truly turn this Lakers franchise into a contender, even with their hoard of rising stars. The problem is finding a deal that makes sense without gutting the roster of its current assets.
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The more likely scenario is the first Oram mentions. In that instance, the Lakers won’t have to part with much, and get just enough support to will them into the postseason. As Oram put it, that allows Johnson to save face and keep the fans from calling for his job.
We’ll see what happens. Either way, the phones will be busy in Laker Land in the next week.