Heading into the second half of the 2019-20 NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers are currently 34-8 and have established themselves as contenders.
While the Lakers are one of the favorites to win the 2020 NBA Finals, there is still room for improvement around LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Along with a wing defender, the Lakers are interested in another playmaker and have been linked to Darren Collison and DJ Augustin up to this point.
And now, the Lakers reportedly are among teams interested in Derrick Rose heading into February 6, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports:
The Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers and multiple teams with championship aspirations have expressed interest in trading for Detroit Pistons guard Derrick Rose, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
Although Rose is not looking to be traded and is happy with his current situation, the Detroit Pistons are sellers at the 2019-20 NBA trade deadline:
Rose is happy with the Pistons and isn’t looking to be traded, sources said, but the decision is beyond his control being. He has one more year at $7.6 million remaining on his contract.
After dealing with some unfortunate injuries in his career, Rose has appeared in 37 of the team’s 44 games. Despite only three starts, the now 31-year-old is averaging 18.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 5.9 assists in 25.8 minutes.
While the Lakers have Rajon Rondo, Alex Caruso, and Quinn Cook at the point guard position, Rose’s scoring ability could be useful especially when James is off the court. It is no secret the Lakers have struggled without James.
As general manager Rob Pelinka and company are looking to improve the roster, the reality is they are limited in terms of assets. As a result, a Collison signing or waiting until the March 1 buyout market may be more likely.
With less than three weeks before the trade deadline, the Lakers have been linked to the right type of players so far that could help improve their chances.