The Los Angeles Lakers, who enter NBA games today in ninth place in the Western Conference standings, didn’t make a move at the NBA trade deadline. But it’s not like the front office didn’t try to improve the roster around LeBron James.
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While the Lakers didn’t make any additions, there were a couple of star guards who James reportedly would have been in support of joining the team.
LeBron James would have welcomed Zach LaVine trade or Dejounte Murray
According to The Athletic, LeBron James’ desire to play with another dynamic ballhandling playmaker that drew him into possible trades for Damian Lillard and Kyrie Irving, only to end up with Russell Westbrook and D’Angelo Russell, led to two other trade targets ahead of the NBA’s Feb. 8 deadline.
While there were likely a lot of players James would enjoy teaming up with, reports state the Lakers’ captain would have supported a trade for either Zach LaVine or Dejounte Murray this season.
Prior to LaVine’s season-ending surgery, it appeared that the Bulls were not only open to trading the two-time All-Star but were eager to. As for Murray, he was also heavily linked in trade rumors, but the Hawks, like the Bulls and Lakers, opted to stand pat at the deadline when it came to big moves.
While LaVine and Murray stayed with their respective teams this time around, it’s possible the Lakers revisit trade discussions later on for the two All-Star guards.
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