NBA Trades: Lakers land offensive firepower in possible 3-team deal with Hawks and Spurs
By Cal Durrett
For weeks, rumors of a trade involving the Los Angeles Lakers and the Atlanta Hawks have continued but a potential deal appears to currently be on hold. That is due to the Hawks being unwilling to take back long-term salary, which would mean that a third team would need to be included to make a trade possible.
Finding a third team in a deal could possibly be tricky since it would require them to take back nearly $20 million in salary for next season, though they could receive assets in return for their cooperation. However, with just two weeks until the NBA trade deadline, they do not have a lot of time to complete a big deal.
The Lakers' former rivals, the San Antonio Spurs, could step in and help, but not out of the goodness of their hearts. They currently project to have a cap space this summer so they can afford to take back a big salary and may be willing to do so for multiple assets. Next, we will take a closer look at a hypothetical 3-team Lakers, Hawks, and Spurs trade.