The Los Angeles have not made any moves throughout this off-season. After hiring new head coach JJ Redick, the Lakers are still searching around for any roster upgrades. After falling short to several players in free agency, time is ticking for the Lakers to make some move. Rumors had been circulating that the team is looking to trade guard D’Angelo Russell. The Portland Trail Blazers had been the team linked in regards to acquiring Russell in a package that would send forward Jerami Grant to the Lakers. After several weeks of continuous rumors, it seems that this trade option for the Los Angeles Lakers is not moving anywhere.
Lakers Rumors: Blazers Not Interested in D’Angelo Russell
Evaluating the Trade Rumor
Grant has a four years and $132.4 million remaining on his current contract, with a player option on year four. For the Lakers and many other teams, that might be a tough move. With a pricey contract and likely having to deal several players in return, it might be best for the Lakers to hold off on a trade. But, the Blazers seem to be moving on with Grant. In order for the Lakers to make a deal happen, they need to find a trade that both meets the Trail Blazers’ draft compensation demands and also send out more money than they receive. Russell’s contract along with some Lakers players would’ve made this trade very feasible. However, the Blazers are not interested.
According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic on his podcast, “The Blazers are steering clear of Russell in any potential trade involving Grant. The team is currently overloaded with guards, and parting with a forward like Grant for another guard doesn’t align with their strategic goals.”
New episode of Buha's Block w/ @KamBrothers:
— How good are the Lakers?
— Patience vs. urgency
— Why haven't they made a consolidation trade?
— The best way to build around LeBron & AD
— Why Jerami Grant is such an intriguing option and moreWatch: https://t.co/NuMZWEk1ty pic.twitter.com/FZLzd3Z7JQ
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) July 26, 2024
Lakers Options Moving Forward
If the Blazers aren’t to make a trade for Russell, the Lakers have a few options moving forward. One would obviously be to keep the core and roster that you acquired during the 2023 trade deadline. A difficult option—that could still work—would be to find a third team that is willing to take on Russell’s contract. Having a third team would help compensate the Lakers to the Blazers.
The Lakers could also move towards not including Russell and matching the Blazers with other players. Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, Christian Wood, and Cam Reddish could be included in the deal to match Grant’s contract. The Lakers would have to combine at least three of these players in order to get a trade done. The Lakers would lose some pivotal players amongst their roster, but would have the ultimate upgrade from Hachimura to Grant. It’s still unclear if the Lakers and Blazers would be interested in doing such a deal.
The Last Word
For the Lakers moving forward, it doesn’t seem likely that any trades are to happen. Upgrading your forward spot for a veteran forward like Grant would be quite beneficial on both ends of the floor. However, is it worth giving up several of your vital key players? The Lakers seem to be moving slow and are really trying to find a trade that makes sense in bettering the team. Splitting up the core and chemistry that you’ve created over the past several seasons might not be in the best interest for the purple and gold. With a few months remaining, we are to see if the Lakers make any moves.
