The Los Angeles Lakers, with their playoff hopes gone and their superstar down for the remainder of the season, are anticipated to be one of several teams eager to make deals on the trading front roughly three weeks before the February 19 deadline, according to NBA analyst Jabari Davis of Basketball Insiders.
The Lakers will once again miss the postseason in back-to-back seasons, succumbing to a brutally tough Western Conference playoff race. Even worse, Kobe Bryant failed to finish the season for the third straight year after suffering a torn rotator cuff.
At 13-34, the Lakers are on pace to end the year with one of the five worst records in the league, which is rather a good development for a team hoping to keep the top-5 protected pick for the upcoming draft.
However, Davis believes the Lakers won't just settle with their current assets, adding general manager Mitch Kupchack could pull off a series of moves over the next few weeks in an attempt to convert some of their trade assets into more draft picks or another young player with great upside.
According to Davis, Jordan Hill and Jeremy Lin appear the most likely trade chips the Lakers are willing to move. Between the two, Hill is drawing more interest on the trading front, as contenders look to beef up their frontline heading into the crucial stage of the season.
"Jordan Hill and Jeremy Lin are among the players whom Jabari Davis of Basketball Insiders believes could be dealt before the trade deadline. Hill would probably garner the most in a trade but the center has a de-facto no trade clause in his contract, which might make a deal difficult. Kennedy lists the Clippers and the Blazers as potential destinations for Hill based on their need for frontcourt depth," via Hoops Rumors.
Aside from the Lakers, the Philadelphia 76ers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Phoenix Suns could be aggresive sellers, while the Los Angeles Clippers, Portland Trail Blazers and Golden State Warriors are expected to explore options in improving their lineup.
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