NBA Trade Rumors: Lakers scouring market for off-guards ahead of the deadline

NBA Trade Rumors: According to a recent report, the Los Angeles Lakers are exploring the trade market for off-ball guards. 

If the Los Angeles Lakers are hoping to right the ship after reshuffling the roster during the offseason only to have an under .500 record at the near midway point of the season, they’re going to have to do it fast and efficiently.

The one problem with that is the lack of general trade assets that the Lakers have on its roster. Unless there’s a team out there in desperate need of a superstar past his prime, I’m not sure Los Angeles will have much luck shopping Russell Westbrook.

The Lakers are not going to trade Anthony Davis and the team can’t really afford to trade Carmelo Anthony, who has been the team’s leading scorer off the bench this season. After that, it leaves Talen Horton-Tucker and Kendrick Nunn as the only two tangible trade assets that the Lakers have on its roster – and Nunn hasn’t even played in a game this season.

That won’t stop the Lakers from exploring the trade market though. And according to a recent report (subscription required), the expectation is that the Lakers will explore off-ball guards.

It makes sense that the Lakers would be searching for players that would fit next to Westbrook, LeBron, and AD – it would be highly surprising if the team traded any of those three players.

Still, at least for now, it seems quite unlikely that, considering what the Lakers have at their disposal in terms of assets, that they would be able to acquire a true game-changing player. Of course, that could always change, but that’s one huge barrier for the Lakers heading toward the trade deadline.

Perhaps the one saving grace for the Lakers is that the Western Conference, aside from the top three teams, has been one big crapshoot. Only six teams are currently over .500, which has kept the Lakers within striking distance of one of the top five seeds in the conference.