The Los Angeles Lakers can keep one of their key players if they trade with the Portland Trail Blazers. The California-based former has been proposing to get a veteran player from the Oregon-based latter.
LA insider Jovan Buha of The Athletic has tackled the subject of a possible Lakers-Blazers trade regarding D’Angelo Russell and Jerami Grant. Lately, Portland has been seeking to release Grant, while Los Angeles is the best possible chance he’ll land for the next season.
“I think if the Lakers do make the Jerami Grant trade, I think it is potentially worth keeping D’Angelo Russell closer to the trade deadline and seeing what that looks like. In that scenario, you have gone for it with [Rui Hachimura] and [Gabe Vincent] for Jerami Grant, and now you’re seeing, like, ‘How does this work?'”
For the reporter, a sacrifice of letting go of some of the other Lakers’ key players is needed to take in Jerami Grant. However, Russell should stay on the team. Buha wants to see how they will make things work in the next season after he just re-signed with Los Angeles.
Additionally, Grant warned that the Lakers should make a move as soon as possible before the start of the next season. He said the team could opt for two options, but he prefers that they make a deal now rather than later when the games are already underway.
However, the analyst from The Insider said that the Lakers would likely wait for an agreement. He thinks that the team wouldn’t manage to bring a contender or maintain a competitive asset in the following seasons. Instead, they should focus on improving their roster.
The Lakers are trying to shelter talented players to recover from their lousy performance last season. Unfortunately, despite having eyed many battle-hardened veterans, they have never gotten any of them. They only got Bronny James and Dalton Knecht in the NBA Draft.
The Los Angeles Lakers could benefit from Jerami Grant.
So far, the Blazers’ power forward is improving toward the past seasons. After joining Portland, he’s shooting better. Last season, he averaged 21.0 points, 2.8 assists, and 3.5 rebounds over 54 games.
Meanwhile, the stars of the Lakers are getting old. Grant’s entry into the team could give the other vital players breathing space. He can also contribute to the team’s offensive plays.
For Buha, the combined forces of Grant, Russell, Anthony Davis, and LeBron James can make the Lakers a contending team.
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