NBA Trades: 5 targets the Los Angeles Lakers must pursue this offseason
By Dalton Sell
The Los Angeles Lakers have been featured in no shortage of NBA trade rumors this offseason.
At this point, the team is still exploring avenues to try and trade Russell Westbrook after he and the Lakers failed to mesh last season. Of course, they have had no luck thus far, but rumors have started to heat up in the past few days as it feels like a deal may be gaining steam. As the purple and gold look to retool their roster via trade ahead of next season, here are five targets they must have on their radar.
NBA Trades: 5 quality targets for the Los Angeles Lakers — Cam Reddish, New York Knicks
The first former Duke product on this list that the Los Angeles Lakers reportedly have their eye on is Cam Reddish. According to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, the Lakers have had interest in adding the 22-year-old swingman since last season, and their stance remains unchanged. L.A.’s rumored interest in acquiring Reddish is beyond justifiable for a handful of reasons.
First off, the Lakers have rightfully prioritized adding youth this offseason after they had an aging roster last season. With names like Lonnie Walker IV and Thomas Bryant joining the mix, the front office has done a solid job adding some youngsters to the fold, and trading for Reddish would be a quality move in that regard as well. The 22-year-old still has plenty of room to develop and would make a fine addition to the Lakers as they stockpile younger players.
On the floor, Reddish could be a great addition to L.A.’s wing rotation. Offensively, there have been some bumps in the road throughout Reddish’s young career, but he has shown signs of promise as a scorer by averaging double-digit points in all three years he has played. He also showed growth as a long-range shooter last season, having shot a career-high 35.9 percent from long distance on 3.8 attempts per game. Defensively, the 6-foot-8 wing would be an excellent addition, giving head coach Darvin Ham a lengthy defender that can guard multiple positions.
To acquire Reddish, the Lakers would have to absorb his $6 million salary for next season, which is doable. While he would not be a game-changing addition, Reddish would be an interesting piece to the puzzle as the Lakers look to bounce back next season, so their interest in him is viable.