This season’s NBA trade deadline will be Feb. 8 at 3 p.m. Eastern, which means time is slowly starting to run out for teams to secure some type of upgrade for their rosters.
The Los Angeles Lakers have apparently been aggressive in scouring the market for at least one player who can help them improve their dismal 22-23 record and resurrect their championship aspirations.
Their top target is clearly Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray, who can not only score and facilitate but also be a speed demon in the open court and play effective defense. It appears the Lakers and Hawks have made some progress on a potential deal, although nothing is imminent.
At the same time, according to Shams Charania, their other main target is Bruce Brown Jr., who recently was traded to the Toronto Raptors (h/t Lakers Daily).
"The Lakers, I'm told, are continuing to monitor two players. I think the two guys at the forefront of their targets list going into the trade deadline, Dejounte Murray of Atlanta, and Bruce Brown Jr. of Toronto."@ShamsCharania on the Los Angeles Lakers
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— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) January 24, 2024
Brown can play both the 2 and 3 and is known as a strong defender and the type of multifaceted role player whose impact can go beyond his numbers. He won an NBA championship last season with the Denver Nuggets and is averaging 11.9 points a game this season, although he has been struggling with his 3-point shooting.
Los Angeles reportedly wanted to sign him last summer with its mid-level exception, only to lose out to the Indiana Pacers.