At this stage of the 2018-19 NBA season, LeBron James and the 10th-seeded Los Angeles Lakers are solely focused on ending the franchise’s five-year playoff drought.
However, it is difficult to not think about the team’s open roster spot, which was created when the Lakers traded Ivica Zubac and Michael Beasley to the Clippers in exchange for Mike Muscala.
While JaVale McGee’s unhappiness and Beasley’s confrontation with head coach Luke Walton reportedly were factors in the Zubac trade, the Lakers could have easily waived Beasley instead.
As Zubac has played well for the Clippers, the Lakers are interested in their former All-Star center, DeAndre Jordan, according to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report:
A better fit would be New York Knicks center DeAndre Jordan, who the Lakers are eyeing before the March 1 playoff-eligibility waiver deadline.
When the Dallas Mavericks traded Jordan to the New York Knicks, he was viewed as a potential buyout candidate. With the Knicks focused on landing the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, waiving Jordan before the March 1 deadline allows him to be eligible for the playoffs while they improve their lottery chances.
Although the Lakers have been linked to Carmelo Anthony and Markieff Morris with their roster spot, Jordan would certainly help with defense and rebounding. As McGee has been inconsistent, Tyson Chandler has had to rest at this stage of his career.
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