NBA Trade Rumors: An underrated star wing could make the most sense for the Los Angeles Lakers at the NBA Trade Deadline.
Through roughly the first month of the NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers looked like a team that was ready to reemerge this season as a contender in the Western Conference. The Lakers were 10-4 through the first 14 games of the season and Anthony Davis was playing at an MVP level and it appeared as if first-year head coach J.J. Redick had inserted himself into the early NBA Coach of the Year race.
However, since then, it's been all downhill for the Lakers. After that strong start to the season, the Lakers have begun to fall apart over the last couple of weeks. In their last eight games, the Lakers are just 2-6. LeBron James is in a pretty apparent funk and it seems as though the early-season honeymoon phase has ended for the team. As we inch closer to the turn of the calendar year, it's left the team with some of the same questions from the last couple of seasons - is there an NBA Trade Deadline move that could help spark the team into the second half of the season?
Could Brandon Ingram emerge as a natural trade target?
Theoretically speaking, there could be one trade deadline candidate out there that makes a ton of sense for the Lakers, and perhaps only the Lakers. It's Brandon Ingram. Considering what Ingram is looking for according to recent reporting, the Lakers make sense as a "winning situation." Ingram is also familiar with the franchise and there wouldn't be a huge shock from his perspective.
The asking price in a potential trade of Ingram at the deadline also wouldn't be astronomically high - especially if it does become clear that the New Orleans Pelicans are going to lose Ingram for nothing during the offseason. Ingram also checks the box of what the Lakers could use on the wing - an offensive-minded wing with the potential to give the team much-needed lineup versatility while also helping carry the offensive load next to AD and LeBron.
At least on paper, a reunion between the Lakers and Ingram does make sense for both sides. For what each side may be looking for heading into the NBA Trade Deadline season, there may not be a better pairing out there in all the NBA.
The Lakers would have to pay him but that's something they could figure out after the season. But that could work, especially with the uncertainty revolving around LeBron's future in the league. For what the Lakers need right now, there may not be a better and more realistic trade deadline target than Ingram. And if the Lakers seriously want to compete for a championship this season, this is a move they should be willing to explore over the next couple of months - especially if the struggles continue.