Blake Griffin could be the target of the Los Angeles Lakers, who have been rumored to attempt another offseason trade.
The Lakers have an "unnamed target in mind," with the team putting on hold the contracts of rookie Brandon Ingram, Tarik Black and Marcelo Huertas, reports Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders.
According to Pincus, the Lakers are placing the contracts for the mentioned players on hold to preserve cap space in case "something happens," sparking speculations of another offseason trade. But it seems the Lakers already have scouted their target, whom they could acquire using the team's projected $13.6 million cap space, assuming they waive Nick Young.
Many have speculated about the Lakers' possible target, but according to Evan Massey of the Inquisitr, LA Clippers forward Blake Griffin could be the player the Purple and Gold have in mind.
In Massey's trade scenario, the Lakers would send Julius Randle and a piece or two from the team's core of young talents. With contracts of Black, Ingram and Huertas all on hold, and the possibility of Young getting waived or traded, a potential package could include all of the mentioned players, along with Randle.
Trading for Griffin would tremendously improve the Lakers' roster and speed up the team's quest to become legit contenders in the league. The 27-year-old should perfectly fit in Luke Walton's up-tempo offense, giving the Lakers a versatile scorer and would also be a boost on the defensive end.
However, trading for Griffin makes little sense if the Lakers won't be able to secure him long-term. Griffin is entering the fourth year of his five-year 94.5 million deal with the Clippers, but could opt out in the final term, making him an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2017.
Alternatively, the Lakers could just wait for Griffin to hit free agency next year, but LA would face a stiff competition signing the All-Star power forward by then, with teams like the Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder also eyeing the former Slam Dunk champ.
By all indications, the Lakers have yet to express genuine interest for Griffin, as well as the Clippers, who have been adamant of keeping their core intact for the next season. A Griffin trade may not exactly be what Lakers have in mind, but it should be interesting to explore a scenario, especially if the price is right.