Lakers rumors: The chances of trading each player on the roster
By Keith Rivas
Luol Deng
Why the Lakers were so bent on signing him last season is still beyond me. Deng was supposed to apparently be a part of the veteran leadership moving forward, but that didn’t happen in the slightest.
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Instead, Los Angeles got stuck with a terrible contract with little to nothing to show for it. Deng, who’s been in the league since 2004, averaged 7.6 points 5.3 rebounds last year.
It’s not even necessarily his play that’ll factor into his role next year, but the fact that they shelled out so much money for a guy who’s in the latter part of his career.
The former first round pick played over 26 minutes per game — that can’t be the same if they want Brandon Ingram’s growth to not be altered.
Bringing in the right kind of veteran forward would be something the Lakers would probably gladly do. The problem with that is that no one — unless you’re Brooklyn — is going to try and eat a contract that big.
Thanks to the four year deal worth $72 million, Deng will likely be in a Lakers uniform until they decide to either cut him or his season ends early due to an injury. It’s hard to believe that they really spent that much more money on a guy like him over Clarkson, but for the same time span.
Obviously a decision the franchise might regret, but Magic Johnson is left with the pieces.
Chance of being traded: 15%