Lakers, Blazers Finalizing Blockbuster NBA Trade https://t.co/ncl8n7Wq3r
— LakerTom (@LakerTom) July 28, 2024
The Los Angeles Lakers have widely been regarded as the most disappointing team of the NBA offseason.
Initially, L.A. came into the summer with high hopes. Klay Thompson, Dejounte Murray and DeMar DeRozan were just a few of the big names that the Lakers were linked to.
Unfortunately, none of those guys actually wound up with Los Angeles. Thompson went to the Dallas Mavericks. Murray was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans. And DeRozan landed with the Sacramento Kings.
On Saturday word also came down that the Lauri Markkanen Trade Sweepstakes had dwindled to three teams – and the Lakers weren’t one of them.
Fortunately, less than 24 hours later, a reprieve came down. It appears as though L.A. is on the verge of a blockbuster trade with the Portland Trail Blazers centered around Jerami Grant.
“So much of the focus has been on Klay and the [Los Angeles] Clippers and always the Lakers,” ESPN’s Zach Lowe reported over the weekend. “Should we start printing the Jerami Grant-Lakers jerseys, by the way? Should we just do it now? … I might order one.”
Lowe has never been one for errant speculation. If he is saying something like this, it’s because he knows it is actually going down.
And in a lot of ways this move makes sense. The Lakers have been linked to Grant for some time. The only thing that has held up the trade from occurring up to this point is L.A.’s refusal to include one key piece in a potential deal.
It appears as though the Lakers’ position has now changed.
Will Grant be enough to push LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the Lakers back into title contention? Time will tell.