Lakers Rumors: A trade with the Clippers could change everything
By Keith Rivas
The latest Lakers rumors could mean that a trade with the Clippers is on the horizon.
While it wouldn’t include Lonzo Ball going to the Clippers, the Lakers can still make major headway if the other team from Los Angeles buys in. Right now, the Clippers have a nine game losing streak hanging over their head and they’ve only won one of their last 12 games overall.
Doc Rivers could also very well be on the hot seat as a result. And if they’re willing to get rid of Rivers, they could very well be open to cleaning house at least a little bit via trade.
What this means for the Lakers is two fold. First off, it’s an opportunity to offer the Luol Deng contract with an additional member of the Lakers being sent to the Clippers to help them focus on going young and rebuilding.
If the Clippers really want Blake Griffin to be their leader for the foreseeable future, then having a guard who is a leader won’t really be necessary. While Chris Paul was in Los Angeles, he took a lot of the leadership responsibilities, and the Clippers power forward is still trying to adjust to his new role.
With that in mind, two tradable pieces of the Clippers if they were to move forward from Doc Rivers would be Austin Rivers and Patrick Beverley. Beverley is a great defensive presence, but again eventually he will be the guy to try and take over if the ship continues to sink and that may interfere with how the front office wants Blake Griffin to be.
In any case, here’s a look at what the Lakers would offer in addition to Luol Deng and why the Clippers would say yes.