The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the most surprising teams in the 2016-2017 NBA season. Last season, they were 17-65 win-loss record. They were the worst team in the Western Conference and second worst in the whole league.
The Lakers are supposed to be in a rebuilding phase now. But with new head coach Luke Walton and new veteran acquisitions in Luol Deng and Timofey Mozgov, the Lakers were experiencing great success early this season.
With a record of 9-9, the Lakers were at the 8th spot in a competitive Western Conference. They lost four of their last six games. But despite that, they are still one of the most surprising teams in the NBA this season.
The young core of D'Angelo Russell, Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson showed vast improvement in their performance. Russell is averaging 16.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.2 steals in 13 games. Randle on the other hand is tallying 13.3 points, 8.1 rebounds and shooting 53.1% from the field. Clarkson is the Lakers' sixth man as he averages 15.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.9 steals off the bench.
However, NBA veteran Luol Deng is struggling for the Lakers. Last offseason, Deng signed a lucrative deal with the Lakers worth four-year $72 million contract, as per USA Today. But despite his big contract, he is struggling right now as he only averages 6.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 23.9 minutes.
Because of this, Deng has been involved with a lot of trade rumor talks. And according to YIBADA, there is a possibility that Deng might be dealt to Minnesota Timberwolves to unite him with coach Tom Thibodeau. And in exchange, the Los Angeles Lakers will get Zach LaVine and Shabazz Mohammad.
If this trade will push through, LaVine will be a great asset to the Lakers lineup. What the Lakers lack is a wing player who has the athleticism and size to score the basketball. LaVine might be the missing piece for the Lakers to get better.
Now on his third NBA season, LaVine is averaging 19.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists. He will be a great boost to the Lakers' offense. He could dunk the ball and shoot three-pointers. He also has the size and athleticism to defend opposing teams' wing player.
Will this trade push through? Stay tuned for more NBA trade rumors and updates.
