Los Angeles Lakers Pursuing Familiar Face on Trade Market

There may not be a team in the NBA that has had as disappointing of a 2024 NBA offseason as the Los Angeles Lakers. Seemingly every player they have been connected to has spurned them, ending up elsewhere.

The Los Angeles Lakers made a strong push for Klay Thompson in free agency, reportedly offering him a massive four-year, $80 million contract. He opted to accept a three-year, $50 million deal from the Dallas Mavericks instead.

Ahead of the trade deadline and this offseason, they were connected to Dejounte Murray of the Atlanta Hawks. He was traded instead to the New Orleans Pelicans.

While free agency has not gone according to plan thus far, there is still plenty of time for the Los Angeles Lakers to shake up their roster. According to Anthony Irwin of Lakers Daily, they are working the trade market.

NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Kyle Kuzma, Jerami Grant, Dorian Finney-Smith, Cameron Johnson, Bruce Brown, Los Angeles Lakers Updates

Irwin shared that the team is seeking upgrades on the wing at the forward position. One name that has come up is someone the Los Angeles Lakers are familiar with; Kyle Kuzma.

“Sources say the Lakers have held trade talks with the Portland Trail Blazers about Jerami Grant, the Brooklyn Nets about Cameron Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith, the Toronto Raptors about Bruce Brown and the Wasington Wizards about Kyle Kuzma — as well as other teams and other trade targets. To this point, though, those are the names most closely linked to the Lakers, according to league and team sources,” Irwin wrote.

The Los Angeles Lakers are leaving no stone unturned when it comes to finding upgrades for their roster. General manager Rob Pelinka is determined to make a move to help out LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Given his familiarity with the franchise and playing alongside those two, Kuzma makes a lot of sense. Jerami Grant may be the best fit overall given the two-way skill set he has displayed during his career.

The Brooklyn Nets have made their intentions clear this season they are tanking. Their sights are set on the 2025 NBA Draft after giving up assets to secure their own pick from the Houston Rockets.

NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Kyle Kuzma, Jerami Grant, Dorian Finney-Smith, Cameron Johnson, Bruce Brown, Los Angeles Lakers Updates

The Toronto Raptors aren’t tanking to the level of the Nets, but they are retooling around Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett. Bruce Brown has been on the trade block since the team acquired him from the Indiana Pacers in the Pascal Siakam blockbuster and would return at least one first-round pick.

All the players mentioned would improve the Los Angeles Lakers’ roster. But, does it get them close enough to contention to justify surrendering the rest of their first-round picks available to trade? Only time will tell.

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