Lakers Rumors: Three unlikely trades next season that are actually likely
By Jason Reed
The myriad of Lakers rumors continues to grow as the 2017-18 season approaches. However, there may be some trades that catch the fans by surprise.
The Los Angeles Lakers find themselves in a very interesting situation heading into next season. Riddled with young talent, this year seems to be just another spoke on the rebuilding wheel. However, key additions in the likes of Lonzo Ball, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Brook Lopez has given this Lakers fan base hope for the first time in five seasons.
Still, ESPN projected the Lakers to land at 13th in the Western Conference with just 33 wins. This is a blow to Laker fans, who expect the team to sneak into the playoffs as an eighth seed. Although those expectations are reasonable and it is also reasonable to expect more than 33 wins, ESPN did project the Lakers to go 25-57 last season. They went 26-56.
Quite frankly, the 33 win mark is a good goal for the team to reach for. At this point, all the organization is vying for is an improvement. With no draft pick and no chance at all to compete with the elite in the West, this season needs a stepping stone to the future. It is hard to swallow that, but fans need to cope with this reality.
With the future in mind, Los Angeles will make some deals that many fans won’t see coming. Because of the high expectations, some think Los Angeles will go all in this season on chasing a ring. Instead, here are three seemingly unlikely moves the Lakers could make that are actually very realistic possibilities.