Los Angeles Lakers: Examining a trade for Victor Oladipo
Even though they are considered as title favorites, the Los Angeles Lakers could look to add a third star in Victor Oladipo in the upcoming offseason.
Pretty much everybody knew that this Los Angeles Lakers squad would be in contention for an NBA championship. However, then being clear front-runners was something very few people believed.
Newly-formed teams rarely tend to hit it right away and usually require some time for the new teammates to get acclimated to one another. Luckily for the Lakers, that period lasted just a few weeks.
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When the Lakers started hitting it off in November, there was no looking back. Simply, no one could challenge them for the first seed in the Western Conference.
But as in any other case, there is always room for improvement. In LA’s case, there appears to be a lack of pure scorers outside of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. When those two struggle, the entire team struggles.
As a result, talks have begun about adding a potential third star to this team. A player that would help turn thugs team into a dynasty once and for all.
The likes of Devin Booker, Bradley Beal and Zach LaVine have all been linked to the Los Angeles Lakers. Unfortunately, the lack of defensive prowess on all those players means the Lakers’ front office should think twice before committing to them.
Then, there’s Victor Oladipo, a player with the ability to score frequently, while also being a solid defender. Perhaps management should look no further than the Indiana Pacers star as a possible addition to the roster.
The Pacers, on the other hand, are in a weird place right now. They are neither tanking nor contending. They are a solid playoff team with absolutely no chances to lift the Larry O’Brien trophy when the season is concluded.
By trading away Oladipo, they could shift their focus towards rebuilding around their younger stars, like Domantas Sabonis and Malcolm Brogdon. Oladipo has suffered a ruptured quad tendon and might never return to his All-Star self, though that should not worry the Lakers as they are not looking for a first scoring option.
The two teams could benefit each other via a trade around Vic. Let’s analyze each side respectively before submitting a possible trade proposal.