Lakers: A Potential Deal With the Knicks Reportedly Fell Apart Before the Deadline
The trade deadline came and went for the Lakers without anything getting done. They were reportedly involved in plenty of discussions leading up to the deadline, but they will now shift their focus to the buy-out market.
It's not the news that Lakers fans want to hear, but it's the reality of where this team is at. But you can't help but wonder how close they got to getting deals done, especially this one with New York.
ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported right before the deadline that the Lakers and Knicks were engaged in talks on Wednesday night. He also added that the deal obviously fell apart since nothing came of it leading into Thursday afternoon.
"They were close to a deal or at least had some traction on a deal with the Lakers yesterday. That would have involved them getting some draft picks for sending out a couple of players, but the deal fell apart."
The details of that trade will likely remain a mystery, but there are a few guys that the Knicks were trying to move. There was chatter of them wanting or trying to move guys like Alec Burks, Cam Reddish, and Nerlens Noel.
One report suggested that a 3-team deal was in the works with the Lakers, Knicks, and Raptors. That deal would have landed Cam Reddish and Alec Burks in Los Angeles while sending out Talen Horton-Tucker and draft picks.
That deal could have been huge for the Lakers, depending on the draft compensation that they would've lost. Reddish and Burks solve a lot of problems, most notably the bench depth and ability to guard the perimeters.
But it was not meant to be, and the Lakers will have to move forward with the guys that they have. Look for them to make waves on the buy-out market, albeit small waves.
