SUMMARY
- The Los Angeles Lakers have decided to move on from and trade away Gabe Vincent.
- Vincent has only played in 5 games this season and also underwent knee surgery.
The Los Angeles Lakers appear to have given up on Gabe Vincent and are reportedly looking to move on from him. As some NBA fans might be aware, the Lakers made quite a lot of moves during the offseason in order to bring themselves one step closer to winning an NBA championship.
One of the many moves they made was bringing over Gabe Vincent from the Miami Heat. Although he was relatively unheard of until that point, Gabe had quite an impact on the Heat and managed to aid Butler and the rest of the squad as they made a deep postseason push and reached the NBA Finals.
Lakers executives likely saw Vincent’s value during the Heat’s unexpected playoff run and soon found a way to bring him over. However, just 7 months later, the team appears to be regretting their decision. That said, a closer look at the current situation is required.
The Los Angeles Lakers are actively looking to trade away Gabe Vincent
Fans have already begun to theorize that the Lakers are “cursed” on the subject of acquiring Miami Heat guards. Los Angeles acquired Kendrick Nunn from the Miami Heat in August 2021. However, he soon sustained a knee injury and missed the entire season.
Although one might assume that was an exceptional case, the same appears to be occurring with Gabe Vincent. Vincent underwent an arthroscopic surgical procedure on his left knee towards the end of last year and has barely been able to step on the court for the Lakers. As a result, the team has decided to seriously involve him in trade rumors with the February 8 trade deadline less than a week away.
The Lakers have been including Gabe Vincent’s name in trade talks, per @JakeLFischer
(Via https://t.co/5DaFwmoCd6) pic.twitter.com/incWUKOh7Y
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 2, 2024
It is quite unfair to blame either side for this situation. After all, the Lakers acquired Vincent with the hopes that he would remain healthy and help them contend for a title. On the other hand, Gabe had no way of knowing or preventing a knee injury that has kept him out for the majority of this season.
How much value does Vincent hold in the trade market?
Since the Lakers currently hold a record of 25 wins and 25 losses and would have to go through the play-in tournament if the season ends today, fans can certainly understand why the team is looking to trade away any asset they possess in order to improve their current standing in the Western Conference.
Be that as it may, Vincent has only played in 5 games so far out of the 50 games that the Lakers have taken part in. In those games, Gabe averaged 5.4 points, 1 rebound and 3 assists. One can only wonder if the Lakers will be able to get any valuable players in return with a trade package centered around Vincent.