This season, with a record of 22-23 through the first half of the season, the Lakers are projected to be among the most active teams through February’s deadline. Among the list of potential targets, however, two players stand out above the rest: Hawks guard Dejounte Murray and former Pacers forward Bruce Brown.
“The Lakers, I’m told, are continuing to monitor two players,” said Shams Charania on FanDuel TV. “I think the two guys at the forefront of their targets list going into the trade deadline, Dejounte Murray of Atlanta, and Bruce Brown Jr. of Toronto.”
The Lakers took similar action last season after hitting rock bottom with Russell Westbrook. Despite some uncertainty at the time, that trade proved to be beneficial for the Lakers, and the players they got in return (D’Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt, Rui Hachimura, among others) helped spark a run to the Western Conference Finals. Unfortunately, that same group is struggling to get any traction in the current standings and now Rob Pelinka has no choice but to re-look at the trade market for solutions. Perhaps the biggest Laker on the trade block is young sharpshooter D’Angelo Russell, who would likely be a big piece involved in any potential Lakers trade.
Drafted 10th overall in 2016, Dejounte Murray came into the league with a lot of optimism about this game. In San Antonio, he broke out into a borderline All-Star for the Spurs, playing elite perimeter defense while averaging 20+ points per game. Since moving to the Hawks, however, Murray’s play hasn’t quite lived up to standards. While he’s still good for over 21 points per game this season, he has lost much of the defensive identity that made him so versatile in San Antonio.
For the Lakers, we already know that they value defense in their backcourt more than most teams today. And on a team with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, it may not be worth it to take a risk on a guy like Murray, who still has so much to prove as a player in this league. But even at his worst, Dejountay Murray provides instant offense in the backcourt and that sort of production is something the Lakers could use more consistently right now with the team ranked 22nd offensively. Clearly, the front office feels the same way considering they’ve already offered a premier package for the 1x All-Star.
Another potential trade target for the Lakes is Bruce Brown, and it seems like an ideal match at first glance. Coming off a championship season with the Nuggets, Brown signed a deal to join the Pacers this past summer. Unfortunately for Indiana, Brown just hasn’t been the same player for them that he was for the Nuggets but there is some belief within the Lakers that his play could reach new heights alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Brown was recently traded to the Toronto Raptors and there is some thinking that he could reach a buyout agreement to become a free agent this season. Whatever the case, the Lakers are sure to take a look at him over the next few weeks as his championship experience makes him an ideal fit for the competitive Lakers atmosphere. through 36 games this season, Brown is averaging 11.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.9 assists on 48.1% shooting.
