Two NBA teams tried to trade for LeBron James before the deadline

The rumors that the Lakers had trade talks with other teams regarding LeBron James were apparently true.

A week or two ago, there were whispers that perhaps LeBron James was unhappy with the Los Angeles Lakers and that they were in talks to trade him.

James tweeted an emoji of an hourglass after they were blown out by the Atlanta Hawks on Jan. 30. A day later, a reporter at Los Angeles-based television station KTLA tweeted that the Lakers were looking to trade him.

While James is still a Laker nearly a week after the trade deadline passed, there were reportedly two teams that tried to trade for him, most notably the Golden State Warriors (h/t Lakers Daily).

Via ESPN:

“Over a clandestine 24-hour window prior to the trade deadline Thursday that included owner-to-owner conversations, the Golden State Warriors made an unsuccessful bid to convince the Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James to consider a trade to pair him with longtime rival Stephen Curry, sources told ESPN,” wrote Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne.

“The Warriors were eager to present a package deal to L.A., but neither the Lakers nor James were willing to explore a potential blockbuster. Even at 39 years old, James is still playing at an All-NBA level that stirred the Warriors’ imagination about his ability to extend the window of the franchise’s fading dynasty.”

James has hinted he would like to play with Curry, a fellow four-time NBA champion, in the past.

Was there a ‘Lakers tax’ during trade discussions?

Have teams been asking the Lakers to give up more than other squads in a potential trade in order to acquire the same players?

Plenty of Los Angeles Lakers fans were disappointed their team didn’t make any moves prior to this season’s trade deadline. There were many rumors that it was going after players such as former All-Star guard Dejounte Murray and two-way wing Bruce Brown, but nothing happened.

General manager Rob Pelinka, in his post-deadline comments, made an analogy to not being able to buy a house that’s not for sale. Teams were reportedly asking the Lakers to attach a first-round draft pick in addition to a player such as D’Angelo Russell or Austin Reaves to receive a good player such as Murray or Brown.

Lakers fans have felt for some time that the team is ordered to give up more in a potential trade than other squads are required to for the same players. This has been referred to as the so-called “Lakers tax,” and some fans believe it has to do with the supposed jealousy and even hate that other teams have for the Purple and Gold.

Reportedly, Lakers officials felt the same way prior to this season’s deadline.

Via The Athletic:

“In conversations with rival teams, the Lakers, according to team sources, sensed something of a ‘Lakers tax,’ with Los Angeles believing it was asked to pay more for role players in potential deals than other suitors,” wrote Jovan Buha. “The Lakers were surprised by some of the final prices quoted for certain players. Several of the Lakers’ top targets — Murray, Toronto’s Bruce Brown Jr., Brooklyn’s Dorian Finney-Smith, Washington’s Tyus Jones and Chicago’s duo of Alex Caruso and Andre Drummond — didn’t move at the deadline, a sign to Los Angeles that demands were out of control.”

On the other hand, L.A. landed Spencer Dinwiddie, a former Sixth Man of the Year candidate, from the buyout market on Saturday. Dinwiddie is a flawed player, but the 6-foot-5 guard should be able to give the team ball-handling, dribble penetration and perhaps an occasional spot-up shooter.

It appears the Lakers are looking to make a big move this summer, which may have been another reason they passed on making a less significant move prior to the deadline.

Lakers feel they could land Donovan Mitchell this summer

The Lakers may punt on this season’s trade deadline in order to go after a big fish this summer.

There are just hours to go before the NBA trade deadline, and therefore the clock is ticking for the Los Angeles Lakers to make a move.

They have been linked to a number of players, and while their current roster seems to have lots of potential, they still have at least one roster deficiency.

This year’s trade landscape doesn’t exactly look impressive, and there doesn’t seem to be any true difference-makers who will get moved by 3 p.m. Eastern time on Thursday. As a result, some have speculated that the Lakers would be better off waiting until this summer to make a significant trade that would move the needle.

Reportedly, they may do just that, partly because they feel they could land star guard Donovan Mitchell (h/t Lakers Daily).

If L.A. is still stubborn about going with a three-star setup (and if LeBron James remains with the organization past this season), Mitchell would seem to be an attractive target, at least on the surface. He’s averaging 28.2 points and a career-high 6.4 assists a game this season for the Cleveland Cavaliers, and he has a history of turning things up in big games.

Many feel he will leave Cleveland one way or another soon, and he could opt out of his contract and become a free agent in the summer of 2025. That may entice Cleveland to trade him beforehand in order to get some value back for him.

However, the thinking is that Mitchell wants to become a member of the New York Knicks. He is originally from Westchester County, which is in suburban New York City, and if he is focused on going to the Knicks, perhaps the Lakers shouldn’t waste their time giving up assets for him.

Lakers have asked about the Pistons’ Danilo Gallinari

The Lakers appear to be doing their due diligence when it comes to looking for an upgrade in terms of 3-point shooting.

The NBA trade deadline is at 3 p.m. Eastern time this Thursday, and time is running out for teams to make offers for players they want to acquire.

Ample rumors continue to swirl regarding what the Los Angeles Lakers may do to augment their roster. They have been on the hunt for the Atlanta Hawks’ Dejounte Murray, although they may have backed off that pursuit in recent days.

Perhaps the Lakers desire landing a wing or forward more than Murray, who could give them an upgrade in the scoring, defense, speed and athleticism departments at the point guard position. According to Michael Scotto, they have inquired about possibly landing forward Danilo Gallinari from the Detroit Pistons.

Via HoopsHype:

“Another player rival executives are monitoring is Danilo Gallinari who’s continued to be a knockdown 3-point shooter while playing minutes at the four and small ball five at times in the final year of his contract,” Scotto wrote. “The Lakers are among the teams who’ve checked in on Gallinari’s price tag to acquire him, league sources told HoopsHype.”

Gallinari, 35, is mostly a power forward and small-ball center at this stage of his career. He was recently traded to the Pistons by the Washington Wizards, and he’s averaging 7.5 points in 15 minutes a game while shooting 44.7% overall and 35.5% from 3-point range this season. He has a career mark of 38.2% from downtown.

The 6-foot-10 veteran missed all of last season with a torn ACL he suffered in a FIBA World Cup qualifier game for his native Italy.

Only one team other than the Lakers made a real offer for Dejounte Murray

There may not be much of a market for Hawks guard Dejounte Murray.

With just days to go before the Feb. 8. trade deadline, Los Angeles Lakers fans are growing ever more anxious about a deal going down to improve the team’s roster.

It seems there are two ways the Lakers can go: trade for Dejounte Murray in order to secure an upgrade at the point guard position or go for a 3-and-D wing. While it looks like they may be prioritizing the latter over the former, perhaps Murray could still be had.

Jake Fischer of Yahoo! Sports said on “The Saturday Stein Line with Marc Stein” that the Utah Jazz are the only other team in the NBA that has made an actual offer for Murray. However, Fischer also pointed out that L.A. doesn’t have a package Atlanta considers attractive enough (h/t Lakers Daily).

“The only teams I’ve really heard actual offers about have been from the Lakers and from Utah, and the Lakers just don’t have a clear, obvious package that’s gonna give the Hawks the picks they want, a player they want and a player who doesn’t have what’s considered to be bad long-term salary,” Fischer said.

There have been many reports that the Lakers have been in hot pursuit of Murray for at least the past few weeks. But after the Hawks asked for Austin Reaves and the Lakers countered with D’Angelo Russell, whom the Hawks don’t want, trade talks stalled.

But if last season was any indication, perhaps the asking price for a player L.A. wants will drop just before the deadline arrives.

Lakers are prioritizing a defensive wing in trade talks

The Lakers may be focusing on upgrading in one specific area with days to go before the NBA trade deadline.

The clock is ticking for the Los Angeles Lakers to make a trade that could improve their roster and bolster their chances of not only making the playoffs but doing something positive there.

In recent days, trade rumors surrounding the team have grown a little quieter. Much of the talk over the last several weeks has been that the Lakers were heavily targeting Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray. But those efforts reportedly hit an impasse, and there is now a feeling that landing him seems unlikely.

With the Lakers winning four of their last six games, including victories over the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks in their last two contests, a new priority has emerged. Jovan Buha wrote they’re focusing on landing a wing who is a strong defender.

Via The Athletic:

“The team is putting a greater emphasis on adding a defensive wing by the trade deadline, according to team sources. The issue, of course, is that every team could use another wing. Prospective prices are high.”

One wing the Lakers have been linked to is Bruce Brown of the Toronto Raptors, who was a member of the Denver Nuggets last season when they won the NBA championship. However, one reporter wrote that L.A. may be backing off its attempts to land him.

Lakers have been including Gabe Vincent in trade talks

The Lakers have reportedly been trying to unload injured guard Gabe Vincent in a potential trade.

There has been a great deal of talk regarding the Los Angeles Lakers trying to make a trade ahead of the Feb. 8 trade deadline. Their two big rumored trade targets have been Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray and the Toronto Raptors’ Bruce Brown, but lately, things have seemed quiet regarding L.A.’s efforts to get either man.

The one main trade chip the team has been dangling like a carrot is guard D’Angelo Russell. Russell went on a hot streak in January, and although he has cooled off in the past few games, the Lakers have reportedly been a bit reluctant to actually let go of him due to his excellent play.

According to NBA reporter Jake Fischer, they have also been including another guard in trade talks: Gabe Vincent.

Via Yahoo Sports:

“We’ve heard plenty of D’Angelo Russell’s involvement in the Los Angeles Lakers’ trade conversations to fortify the unit around LeBron James, Anthony Davis and front-office favorite Austin Reaves. Let it be known that Los Angeles has also been including injured point guard Gabe Vincent, who’s played just five games due to a knee injury, in various trade talks, sources said.”

The fact that Vincent will be out until at least late February, and the overall uncertainty regarding his status, will make trading him difficult. But if the Lakers can find a taker, his $10.5 million contract this season will come in handy when it comes to matching salaries in a potential deal.

Lakers may not be interested in trading for Bruce Brown

Have the Lakers crossed one of their biggest trade targets off their wish list?

The Feb. 8 trade deadline is rapidly approaching across the NBA. That means for a number of teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers, the opportunity to secure an upgrade via the trade market is about to end.

The Lakers have had interest in a number of players who could move the needle at least a little. One of them has been Bruce Brown, the versatile wing who was recently traded by the Indiana Pacers to the Toronto Raptors, a team that appears to be hitting the proverbial reset button.

Brown was a key player for the Denver Nuggets when they won the world championship last season. But he left them in free agency this past summer, and L.A. was one of the teams that was very interested in signing him at the time.

According to one reporter, the team’s interest in Brown may have cooled for the moment.

Via Action Network:

“Multiple sources indicated this week that the Lakers had at least temporarily moved away from talks for Raptors guard Bruce Brown, who they had interest in at the deadline last year,” wrote Matt Moore.

While Brown isn’t the most reliable 3-point shooter, he’s an effective defender who can also pitch in on the boards and even serve as a secondary ball-handler. So far this season, he’s averaging a career-high 11.8 points a game while shooting 47.2% from the field.

Are the Lakers considering trading LeBron James?

One Los Angeles-based reporter claims the Lakers are actively looking to trade LeBron James.

With about a week to go before the NBA’s trade deadline, many Los Angeles Lakers fans are hoping the team makes a deal that would improve its roster and give it a big shot in the arm.

Coming into Thursday’s contest against the Boston Celtics, it was 24-25 and coming off back-to-back blowout losses to the Houston Rockets and Atlanta Hawks.

The player on their roster most likely to be traded is guard D’Angelo Russell, who recently had an extended hot streak.

However, according to Kevin Pingalore, a reporter for Los Angeles-based KTLA, the Lakers are looking to do the unthinkable: trade LeBron James (h/t Lakers Daily).

James is the type of player who would seemingly only be traded if he were to ask for a trade. For what it’s worth, Pingalore correctly tweeted about a couple of other major moves, including James coming to the Lakers in the first place, before they took place.

The 39-year-old has a player option for next season he could turn down and become a free agent this summer. If he has indeed already decided to leave the Lakers, he could do them a big favor by asking to be traded now so they could get something in return for him.

But the team merely trying to trade James ahead of next week’s deadline seems extremely unthinkable.

Stein: Lakers have dialed back their pursuit of Dejounte Murray

The Lakers may be thinking twice about trading D’Angelo Russell for the Hawks’ Dejounte Murray.

Los Angeles Lakers fans badly want their team to make a trade, and Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray is the man many of them seem to want. The team has had talks with Atlanta regarding him, but those talks have hit an impasse, reportedly because Atlanta doesn’t want D’Angelo Russell in return.

However, Russell has been on a heater since going back into L.A.’s starting lineup. In fact, his excellent play of late has reportedly made the team think twice about trading him.

In fact, NBA reporter Marc Stein wrote that Russell’s strong play has resulted in the Lakers dialing back their pursuit of Murray.

In his last eight games, Russell has put up 27.5 points and 6.4 assists a game while shooting 52.3% from the field and 54.2% from 3-point range. Not coincidentally, the Lakers have won five of their last seven contests.