The Los Angeles Lakers are making waves in the NBA and they are being tagged as the most improved team but they are still in NBA trade rumors.
While there improvement is much lauded and they are now the most fun team to watch, no one takes them seriously and they have yet to cement themselves as a playoff team. This is why the team could still consider some trades.
On December 15, most of the NBA players will become eligible for trade including those who signed new contracts this summer. One of those rumors involves trading Luol Deng, who was mentioned as a target of his former coach, Tom Thibodeau who is now with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
In a bold declaration, Ric Bucher of Bleacher Report (h/t Lakers Nation) had named Luol Deng as a target of Thibs, whom he described as "not a paragon of patience."
Bucher claimed that Thibodeau wants some familiarity. "His first look will be for a player he already knows and trusts because he's already had that player in his system. Would the Lakers consider advancing their youth movement and dealing former Bull Luol Deng?"
Deng is not fitting well with the Lakers. He has lost a step and is now unable to guard younger and faster small forwards. He is most effective as a stretch four, but the Lakers are already stacked in that position. They have two promising power forwards and Silver Screen and Roll discussed in a podcast which one is the better fit for the Lakers.
Having both Julius Randle and Larry Nance is a luxury for any team but the argument has sprung among the Laker faithful in light of possible trades. The consensus is that Julius Randle is more talented and has more ability but Larry Nance is the better fit. However, this could change as Randle is showing more facets to his game-something he could not do when he was still being coached by Byron Scott.
Randle is seen as the player with more upside and could thus bring better returns that Nance. The Lakers may be considering trades on December 15 and they may decide on the Randle/Nance conundrum by then. Another notable move is trading Nick Young.
Young has been on the trade block but he has been classified as "untradeable." This season, his trade value is at its peak. The Lakers are likely to try and cash in now.