Lakers Rumors: LA Could Hoard Assets At Deadline To Chase All-Star Guard This Summer
At 27-25, your middling Los Angeles Lakers aren't exactly scaring anybody ahead of tomorrow's impending trade deadline. The team's three best players -- All-Star center Anthony Davis, All-Star power forward LeBron James, and shooting guard Austin Reaves -- have all been largely healthy, and point guard D'Angelo Russell has played about as well as could be reasonably expected.
LA can try blame long-term injuries to more peripheral pieces like Gabe Vincent (who's played just five games), Jarred Vanderbilt (29 out of a possible 52, and he's out for several more weeks), and Cam Reddish (35), but really, none of those guys should even be starters on a contending team.
Something's amiss, and a trade may be the fix.
Now, apparently, team president Rob Pelinka is considering whether or not to push all his chips into the table at the deadline, with a potentially more appetizing offseason prize in his sights.
Per Bill Reiter of CBS Sports, Los Angeles believe it has a shot at adding current All-NBA Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell.
Since Darius Garland went down with an injury (he has since returned), Mitchell has thrived as the primary ball handler for the rising Cavaliers. At 32-16, Cleveland has risen to the No. 2 seed in the East, behind only the mighty Boston Celtics. Across its last 15 contests, the club has gone an unreal 14-1.
On the year, the 6'3" Mitchell is averaging 28.2 points on .471/.354/.857 shooting splits, 6.4 dimes and 5.4 rebounds a night.
