NBA Trade Rumors: If the Los Angeles Lakers do end up making a move at the trade deadline, it will likely be a big swing.
Since December 15, the Lakers are just 7-13. They've taken a stumble down the Western Conference standings and find themselves sitting as the 9th seed at the midway point of the season. With just a couple of weeks before the NBA Trade Deadline, there has to be some urgency beginning to creep into the front office.
As currently constructed, it's almost impossible to be confident in the Lakers turning their season around. While they have a talented core, the supporting cast hasn't been good enough so far this season to ensure that this team has another gear to shift into during the second half of the season.
That's why, as the NBA Trade Deadline draws near, the Lakers' playoff (and potential championship) chances could very much hinge on whether the team is able to pull off a big move at the trade deadline or not. At the very least, we know that the Lakers do have some high hopes heading into the final two weeks before the February 8 trade deadline.
According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, the two names the Lakers are focusing on heading into the NBA Trade Deadline are Dejounte Murray and Bruce Brown. It's become clear over the last few weeks
Can the Los Angeles Lakers pull off another trade deadline miracle?
It's no surprise that the Lakers would be interested in arguably the two best players still on the trade market. Nevertheless, it's easy to see why the Lakers would theoretically be interested in Murray and Brown. Murray is a two-way, playmaking guard that would take a ton of pressure off both LeBron James and Anthony Davis. He'd also bring an element on the defensive end of the floor that the Lakers don't currently have on their roster at the moment.
The same could be said about Brown. Though Brown is less of a playmaker, he certainly would fill a much-needed role on the defensive end of the floor while also providing a boost on the offensive end of the floor.
The fit for both Murray and Brown isn't the biggest question for the Lakers heading into the trade deadline, though. It's whether or not the Lakers have enough assets to include in a deal to pull off a trade. And much of that will be determined by how shallow or deep the market is for either of those players.
Two weeks before the deadline, it seems like a good bet that both Murray and Brown will be traded. The question is, will either of those players end up being traded to the Lakers?