After the Los Angeles Lakers’ latest inexcusable loss, which came on Friday to the dismal Brooklyn Nets, the pressure is mounting even more on a franchise that was fully expecting to contend for the NBA championship this season.
The need for some sort of shake-up is increasing, and with no indication that head coach Darvin Ham’s job is in jeopardy, that shake-up will have to be a trade.
Although the Lakers reportedly have several trade targets, the one they seem most zeroed in on is Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray. While the two teams have talked about a potential deal, the Lakers have been unwilling to include Austin Reaves, a player Atlanta wants, in any potential trade.
Jovan Buha revealed a framework for a possible deal has been discussed. That framework consists of D’Angelo Russell, rookie guard Jalen Hood-Schifino and draft capital.
Via The Athletic:
“The Murray buzz is only increasing — and to noisy levels. The Lakers and Hawks have discussed potential frameworks of a deal, including a version late last week that centered on Russell, Hood-Schifino, the 2029 first-round pick and additional draft compensation, according to multiple team and league sources. Talks have since stalled, but are expected to pick back up closer to the deadline.”
While Murray is certainly a very good player (he hit game-winning shots in back-to-back games this week), it is an open question whether he would be enough to reverse the Lakers’ fortunes. It seems their problems now run deeper than mere roster deficiencies.