SUMMARY
- The Lakers have been trying to acquire Dejounte Murray.
- The Hawks and Lakers have barely discussed about a Murray trade due to D'Angelo Russell's emergence.
The Los Angeles Lakers were one of the biggest buyers interested in a couple of All-Star caliber players ahead of the impending trade deadline. However, there has been a shift of interest within the organization based on how the team has been performing in the last couple of games. While they are still in danger of potentially missing the playoffs, they have been showing a lot more consistency.
Over the last few weeks, the Lakers have been linked to various trade scenarios revolving around Dejounte Murray. His current team, the Atlanta Hawks has not found much success with the backcourt they formed including Trae Young. They are seated as the 10th seed of the Eastern Conference, which is quite a dangerous place to be in.
REPORT: The idea of Dejounte Murray landing with the Lakers before the trade deadline is “unrealistic.”
(Via @TheSteinLine) pic.twitter.com/25MLqgh44y
— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) January 28, 2024
The Los Angeles Lakers have emerged as the frontrunners to acquire the guard. He is currently averaging 21.4 points, 5 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game. The reason why he would make a great fit is because he has a great defensive mind that could assist Anthony Davis around the perimeter. Additionally, the Lakers will be receiving an above-average three-point shooter who averages 38.8% on 6.2 attempts per game.
Austin Reaves becomes the only remaining asset for the Lakers amidst D’Angelo Russell’s emergence
Right now, there hasn’t been much traction between the Lakers and the Hawks recently. The trade deadline is just over a week away from happening. This puts the Lakers in a spot to make a quick decision. Sources claim that the Lakers have been pulling back a little bit lately based on how D’Angelo Russell has been performing. The point guard has been averaging 27.5 points over the last five matchups.
Russell was initially the biggest trade asset the Lakers had besides Rui Hachimura. Both players have been contributing very well lately, which has removed them from trade talks for a while. This has now made Austin Reaves the biggest asset in this scenario. The Athletic’s Jovan Buha claimed, “The Lakers would quickly reject this deal. They have no interest in trading Reaves.”
Report: Lakers would only trade Austin Reaves for clear-cut All-Star https://t.co/tQ10vhUbVS
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 29, 2024
“The exception would be in a deal for a clear-cut third All-Star. With a name like Lauri Markannen being the only player of that ilk potentially available on the trade market,” Buha added. However, this trade is highly unlikely to take place because of the Lakers’ stance on Reaves. The only reason why Reaves is being targeted is because he’s contributions are being overshadowed by Russell’s emergence.