The Los Angeles Lakers are pondering different moves to increase the team’s chances of closing the gap to the best-performing teams of the 2021-22 season.
Reports have claimed L.A. wants to move DeAndre Jordan and Kent Bazemore after it already traded Rajon Rondo to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The deal opened up a roster spot, giving the Lakers more flexibility in their efforts to improve the roster.
The L.A. Times’ Dan Woike also reports the Lakers have now put Talen Horton-Tucker on the trade block, realizing they might not be able to make significant additions to the 2021-22 team without parting ways with the 21-year-old guard:
Meanwhile, the Lakers are trying to find help, though their option appear limited. According to people with knowledge of the situation, the team is shopping 21-year-old Talen Horton-Tucker in trade discussions. Rival general managers believe the Lakers value Horton-Tucker, but they lack the mid-range contracts needed to put together a deal to upgrade their roster and understand no significant trade is getting made without him.
The Lakers signed Horton-Tucker to a three-year, 30.8 million contract in the offseason. The young guard averages 10.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.5 assists over 28 games in 2021-22 — shooting 40.9% from the field and 24.4% from downtown, both career-low percentages.
Frank Vogel’s job safe for now but Lakers front office continues evaluating head coach and his assistants
Head coach Frank Vogel was believed to have almost lost his job after the blowout loss to the Denver Nuggets. However, the latest reports claim the convincing win over the Utah Jazz took some pressure off Vogel and there currently are no plans to replace the 48-year-old coach.
However, Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka as well as the team’s senior basketball advisor, Kurt Rambis, are believed to have held several meetings with Vogel and assistant David Fizdale, aimed to talk about potential solutions to L.A.’s struggles this season.
Rambis is also believed to have advocated for the Lakers to use “more traditional strategies” in order to turn things around.
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