Every fan of the Los Angeles Lakers is hoping the team makes a trade between now and the Feb. 9 NBA trade deadline to turn what most consider a borderline playoff team into a contender.
There have been plenty of rumored targets, but one thing has been consistent across multiple reports: The Lakers are reluctant to include draft picks, especially those in the first round, unless they bring back a package that will significantly improve the team right now.
A recent conversation Heavy.com’s Sean Deveney had with a Western Conference executive will not exactly encourage anxious fans. That executive said that Lakers owner Jeanie Buss supports not trading any draft picks, even if such a deal would improve the team right now.
Via Heavy.com (h/t Lakers Daily):
“However, according to a Western Conference executive who spoke with Heavy On Sports’ Sean Deveney under the condition of anonymity, the Lakers are unlikely to trade away their future in order to improve the current iteration of their roster – a move which Jeanie Buss supports,” Heavy.com’s Adam Taylor wrote.
Los Angeles badly needs one or two productive two-way forwards, and it could also use one more true center who will provide a defensive presence. More and more, it looks likely it will simply ride out the season, even if it means missing the playoffs again, and look for a miracle this summer, even though hitting on such a strategy seems extremely unlikely.
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