The Los Angeles Lakers were on the verge of saving their season. Then, Anthony Davis fell with a stress fracture on his foot, and he'll miss a big portion of the NBA campaign. Needless to say, that's a big problem.
Rob Pelinka planned to hold on to his assets and just try and let the season play itself out. Now, it's evident that they need to make some moves if they want to stand a chance of making the playoffs.
But in reality, the chances of them pulling off a big trade for a star are quite slim. With that in mind, we've put together a list of the three veteran players they could realistically pursue in a trade.
NBA Rumors: Realistic Trade Targets For The Los Angeles Lakers
3. Jae Crowder
For whatever reason, Jae Crowder decided to hold out and act like a superstar, so he's not going to play unless he's extended or traded. The Phoenix Suns need him on the court, but not as much as he thinks they do.
The Lakers, on the other hand, are in desperate need of a sharpshooting wing that could hold his own on the defensive end of the floor. Whether he'll want to play for them, however, remains to be seen.
2. Kyle Kuzma
Kyle Kuzma pretty much started tampering as soon as the rumors of the Lakers' interest in his services flooded the internet. He talked about that Southern California breeze, and we all know what he meant.
Kuzma isn't likely to extend his stay with the Washington Wizards. There's a strong belief around the league that he's going to be traded, as he reportedly plans to opt out of the final year of his deal.
1. Kelly Oubre Jr.
The Charlotte Hornets aren't going anywhere. Even if they sign Miles Bridges, he's likely to be suspended for the year, and they're just not a good basketball team right now. Not even with LaMelo Ball going berzerk.
So, Michael Jordan would be better off just shaving some big contracts off his payroll. That means Kelly Oubre Jr, an athletic freak with streaky scoring skills and some defensive flashes, could be on the move.
