NBA Rumors: Speculated trade target could legitimize Los Angeles Lakers in West

NBA Rumors: Speculated trade target could legitimize Los Angeles Lakers in West.

NBA Rumors: The Los Angeles Lakers could find championship legitimacy with bold trade deadline move.

 

Even though the Los Angeles Lakers have lost two straight games, they’ve still gotten off to a strong start to the season – especially considering this is a team that not much was expected from. However, despite their strong start to the year, if the Lakers are going to emerge as a legit contender in the Western Conference, they’ll almost certainly have to make a trade deadline upgrade to their roster.

 

Dorian Finney-Smith could raise the ceiling for the Los Angeles Lakers

In many ways, DFS could fill a lot of what the Lakers need in the frontcourt. Even though he’s not necessarily a center, he could certainly help take some of the defensive heat off Anthony Davis on a night-to-night basis. The big question is whether AD and DFS could coexist on the floor together. On paper, you’d have to believe so.While much has been made about their desire to acquire a starting-caliber center, the argument could be made that they would very much benefit from a versatile player in the frontcourt – no matter what position they would theoretically play. As we inch closer to the NBA Trade Deadline, the list of trade targets linked to the Lakers is only going to climb.

 

Lakers insider Anthony F. Irwin hinted that the team is still interested in a potential trade of Dorian Finney-Smith. Irwin noted that the Lakers inquired about DFS last season but a deal never came to fruition. With the way the Brooklyn Nets are expected to operate heading into the trade deadline, DFS could be an option again for the Lakers. And looking at what the Lakers need in the frontcourt, DFS is a player who could legitimize the team as a contender in the West.

Averaging 11 points and five rebounds per game on 47 percent shooting from the field and 41 percent shooting from 3-point range, while also emerging as a versatile defensive force, there’s reason to believe that DFS could be the trade target that the Lakers need. Whether Los Angeles would be willing to part ways with the assets that it’s likely going to take to get a deal done remains to be seen.

 

However, to say that there aren’t trade targets to help the Lakers push them up the West hierarchy is quite foolish. Whether Los Angeles will want to go all-in for this core is the big question. But if the Lakers continue to play at the pace they’ve been performing at through the first month-plus of the season, it’s going to be difficult for the front office not to explore a needle-moving trade at the deadline. Maybe DFS could be the Lakers’ primary target.