With the NBA trade deadline fast approaching, the Los Angeles Lakers are one of the most active teams on the market. To this point, they have no less than half of a dozen names on their radar, and likely more.
Lakers Insider Reveals 6 Trade Deadline Targets
“According to some of those NBA folks, the names that have been attached to the Lakers as potential trade targets are Dallas’ Naji Marshall, a former Doncic teammate, Cleveland’s De’Andre Hunter, Minnesota’s Donte DiVincenzo and Sacramento’s Keon Ellis,” writes the Los Angeles Times reporter Brad Turner.
“New Orleans’ Trey Murphy III and Herbert Jones are two players the Lakers have shown some interest in –as have many other teams –but NBA people say the asking price is so high that teams are waiting to see if that comes down by the deadline next week.”
Of those aforementioned players, several are likely already known to Lakers’ fans.
New Orleans Pelicans wing Herb Jones and Sacramento Kings wing Keon Ellis are 3-and-D players that have been linked to Los Angeles for awhile now. Jones’s teammate, Trey Murphy III, is another player that the Lakers are known to covet. Cleveland Cavaliers forward De’Andre Hunter is less fit for a 3-and-D role, but has previously been mentioned as well.
However, L.A. being tied to Dallas Mavericks forward Naji Marshall and Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo is news.
Naji Marshall
The Lakers having Marshall among their trade targets is not altogether too surprising.
Not only was he Doncic’s teammate in Dallas for a short time, he genuinely got along with the Mavericks’ former face. With Doncic now all but the face of the L.A.’s most popular franchise, it makes sense that they would seek out players who he has a connection with. Being in the middle of a career year certainly doesn’t hurt Marshall’s case. Furthermore, though he may not win DPOY any time soon, he’s also known to take on tough defensive assignments.
From an organizational standpoint, Marshall is a great fit, his routinely off-target 3-ball aside.
Donte DiVincenzo
Out of all the players named, the Lakers having their eyes on DiVincenzo is the most shocking.
To start, they seemingly have enough ball-handlers when healthy. After all, there’s only one ball and shot distribution is quietly becoming a problem in Los Angeles. Just consider, Doncic’s usage rate is at a career-high 37.8%. In the midst of a career season, Austin Reaves is averaging career-highs of 26.6 points and 6.3 assists per game. LeBron James, a 21-time All-Star and the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, literally has to demand the ball.
In essence, it’s not a question of why they really need DiVincenzo. In a vacuum, he’s on another level than Gabe Vincent (who they’d likely try to trade to the Timberwolves in return). However, his fit could become problematic unless he’s prepared to spend at least as much time off-ball as on-ball.
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