It’s officially NBA trade deadline week, which means between now and Thursday there will surely be an overflowing amount of rumors flooding the market, we’ll just have to see how many of them actually reach the status of full-blown trade. Some big names who were expected to be moved before the deadline are already in their new homes, as Pascal Siakam (Pacers), OG Anunoby (Knicks) and Terry Rozier (Heat) have all been swapped to other teams.
But that still leaves many players who have been rumored to be on the move, like Dejounte Murray, waiting to see if they’ll be joining a new team after Feb. 8. One big name that’s almost certain to remain on his current team is Zach LaVine, as the Bulls announced on Saturday that the All-Star guard is electing to have season-ending foot surgery, which will effectively pull him out of any meaningful trade talks right now. That certainly changes how the Bulls will approach Thursday, as well as the offseason this summer.
As we get closer to Feb. 8, here’s all the latest chatter circulating the league.
Lakers only want All-NBA level talent
L.A. has had a disappointing season so far, despite winning the inaugural In-Season Tournament back in December. The Lakers currently sit ninth in the Western Conference, and while a top-six spot is still very much in play with a little more than 30 games left on the schedule, nothing the Lakers have done to date suggests they’ll climb up the standings in a significant way. So, per usual, Lakers fans are wondering if this team will make any drastic changes at the deadline, and while L.A. has been long attached to Hawks guard Dejounte Murray, that thinking might be shifting as we near the deadline.
According to ESPN, the Lakers won’t be pursuing a third max-money player to pair with LeBron James and Anthony Davis unless they are an All-NBA-level player. When you run up and down the list of available players, there isn’t anyone who fits that bill, including Murray, so it raises the question of what are the Lakers planning on doing before Thursday. They only…
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