The Los Angeles Lakers could be active sellers ahead of the NBA trade deadline. Basketball Insiders' Alex Kennedy named veterans Jordan Hill and Ed Davis as two Lakers who could possibly be dealt before Feb. 19, in order to give Los Angeles more assets for the future and to help the team tank for a chance at a higher pick in the 2015 NBA draft.
Losing Kobe Bryant for the year was the cherry on top another forgettable season. Los Angeles is 12-34, and with little to play for, Kennedy speculates Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak will be busy in the days leading up to the trade deadline.
Per Kennedy:
"Trading away veterans like Jordan Hill and Ed Davis among others could be beneficial for a number of reasons. First of all, it could return some young players or draft picks that help L.A. as they rebuild. Secondly, it would free up minutes for some of the younger players on the roster and give them a chance to develop. Finally, it would likely lead to some more losses, which would increase the Lakers' odds of keeping their pick and landing a stud in the 2015 NBA Draft (which is shaping up to be very good, especially at the top).
"Davis seems like the biggest no-brainer to trade, since he can (and likely will) opt out of his contract after this season and become an unrestricted free agent, so getting some kind of compensation in return for him (even if it isn't much) would be smart rather than maybe losing him for nothing this summer."
As Kennedy touched on, the Lakers must land a top five draft pick in the lottery in order to keep it. If they don't, the pick will go to the Phoenix Suns as part of the 2012 trade that brought Steve Nash to Los Angeles.
Kupchak has until Feb. 19 to complete a trade.
