Monday marked the first day that players signed in the off-season could officially be traded in the NBA. As such, a number of teams have already begun discussing deals, though apparently nothing is imminent yet.
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The Los Angeles Lakers were not one of the teams mentioned as being extremely active in discussions, but there could be some intriguing pieces available as Howard Beck of Bleacher Report says that the entire Knicks roster is available, except for Carmelo Anthony:
The Knicks will probably keep Carmelo Anthony for now. But rival executives say that everyone else at the Garden is available, possibly even the ball boys. J.R. Smith is the most likely to be exiled, if the Knicks can find a taker.
Anthony currently has a no-trade clause, so he would have to waive that in order for the Knicks to move him, which he has said he won’t do.
There is no word that the Lakers would pursue any players on the Knicks, but there are some intriguing young options on the roster who could be good fits for the Lakers.
Two-way wing players like Tim Hardaway Jr., Iman Shumpert, or even rookie Cleanthony Early are all cheap options who could improve the Lakers on the perimeter, and develop into core pieces down the line. Point guard Shane Larkin would also be an option as someone who could be a good addition.
The Knicks would probably want to add one of their expensive contracts in order to part with one of their young talents, so players like Andrea Bargnani and J.R. Smith are sure to be discussed as well.
With the Nets also looking to get rid of some players, there looks to be some interesting options lining up if the Lakers wanted to improve through trade.
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