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Damian Lillard, Brook Lopez Among Potential Targets

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According to the latest Los Angeles Lakers trade rumors, Milwaukee Bucks stars Damian Lillard and Brook Lopez and Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic have been mentioned as notable targets for the Purple and Gold.

Proposed three-team trade package

Then there’s the possibility of the Lakers only trading for Lillard and a few role players.

FanSided’s Craig Miller recently posted a three-team blockbuster trade involving the Bucks, Lakers, and San Antonio Spurs. The full trade details are as follows:

Lakers receive:
-Damian Lillard
-Charles Bassey
-Sandro Mamukelashvili

Bucks acquire:
-D’Angelo Russell
-Rui Hachimura
-Gabe Vincent
-2029 first-round pick (via LAL)
-2031 first-round pick (via LAL)
-2026 second-round pick (via SA)

Spurs receive:
-Jalen Hood-Schifino
-Christian Wood
-2025 second-round pick,
-2030 second-round pick (via LAL)
-2031 second-round pick (via MIL)

Lakers might trade for both Lillard and Lopez

Based on the proposed trade package shown above, neither Lopez nor Nurkic is featured in the potential deal. Having said that, perhaps the Lakers would be better off with both Lillard and Lopez.

Lopez, 36, is in the final season of the two-year, $48 million contract he signed with Milwaukee last July. While Lopez is six years older than Nurkic, the Bucks center has still played in more games than Nurkic over the past few seasons.

Lopez appeared in 78 games in 2022-23 and 79 contests last season. Meanwhile, Nurkic has played in at least 70 games in a single campaign just once (76 games last season) since 2018-19.

If the Lakers can acquire both Lillard and Lopez, the 7-footer would provide insurance in the event that both Christian Koloko and Jaxon Hayes get injured. Anthony Davis is dealing with foot injuries as well.

Los Angeles has a number of injury-prone players, and LeBron James turns 40 in December. If the Lakers want to have any chance of winning another championship, an in-season blockbuster trade is necessary.

Lakers Might Have Found Solution to Defend Elite Wing Players

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Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick made a surprising move this week when he decided to bench D’Angelo Russell for Cam Reddish. The switch intended to improve the defense with Reddish starting, as well as provide a needed spark off of the bench in Russell.

The decision paid off in the Lakers’ 116-106 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Though the 76ers were without Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, the Lakers earned the win after losing four of their previous five games.

Reddish stepped in and helped stifle Paul George throughout the game. George finished with just nine points, four rebounds, and eight assists, and was unable to get going offensively.

Anthony Davis, who returned from injury and scored 31 points in the win, broke down what Reddish did well defensively in the game.

“He’s disruptive, he’s handsy, he’s physical, he’s tough, he slides his feet,” Davis said, via Jovan Buha of The Athletic. “That’s what we need. He’s been that for us, especially the last three games. And it stands out. It got him in the rotation. You need a player like that who you kinda just feed off of their energy. He’s coming into the game and getting steals and guarding the other team’s best wing and putting a lot of pressure on that wing to make tough shots, tough plays.”