The NBA trade deadline has passed and the Los Angeles Lakers look unchanged, even though their current situation, which is far from good, suggests they could use the arrival of new faces.
However, it looks like the team’s hopes of seeing something different rely on the buyout market. Many people expected the Lakers to pull off a trade before the deadline but the truth is they were not in a great spot to do so.
Besides, Rob Pelinka explained that none of the deals that were on the cards would be helpful in the long term. Still, reports link the Lakers with a possible move for Tristan Thompson if the Indiana Pacers buy him out of his contract.
Tristan Thompson could be a Lakers buyout target
Thompson has recently joined the Pacers as part of a package that saw Domantas Sabonis move to the Sacramento Kings but James Boyd of the Indy Star reports that the Pacers are considering to buyout his contract.
The Lakers do need help at center, given that onlyAnthony Davis – and sometimes LeBron James – can play there on their current roster. According toMichael Scotto of HoopsHype, Thompsoncould be on the Lakers’ radar.
(Via Fadeaway World)
“I’m keeping my eye on Tristan Thompson. He’s a guy that can be a part of a playoff rotation and help a team. The Los Angeles Lakers are a team to keep an eye on should Thompson agree to a buyout with the Indiana Pacers. He certainly has a lot of relationships there, and his rebounding ability would help them.“
Report: The Lakers’ roster would look the same next season
“That’s some of the phrasing I’ve heard. ‘Let’s not make a change to make a change. Let’s make a change when we know it’s going to make us a lot better,’“Ramona Shelburne of ESPN said on the ‘Brian Windhorst & the Hoop Collective’podcast, per SB Nation’s Silver Screen and Roll.“And I’ve even heard the phrasing ‘This is probably going to be the roster next year, too.’
“Now, obviously, the minimum contract guys will change, but I think this is what they’ve got. There’s was a couple of weird signals I’ve seen since that. I don’t think LeBron’s been in a situation where he just gets told “No” flat out very often. Even Dan Gilbert eventually kind of bent.”
Despite all the critics, Russell Westbrook‘s contract wouldn’t be easy to move on, and Pelinka already suggestedthat the Lakers were not going to make a change just to make a change.