The latest Lakers trade rumors to know before the deadline
By Jason Reed
The New Orleans Pelicans made offers for Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle
As previously mentioned, Clarkson and Randle have been the center of trade talks and will be the first two guys out the door if any deal does transpire. As much as the fans want Luol Deng out of the picture, it simply is not happening.
There have been worries on if there even was a realistic trade market for the young duo. However, as Michael Scotto of The Athletic reports, the New Orleans Pelicans made trade offers for both Clarkson and Randle in separate packages (h/t LakersNation).
While nothing ultimately transpired and the Pelicans struck a deal for Nikola Mirotic, this is a promising sign for those wanting to part ways with Randle and Clarkson. Randle and Clarkson bring unique sets of skills that fit practically NBA team and would serve as huge depth pieces for even the best contenders.
Randle is a starting caliber power forward that can give any team flexibility at both power forward and center. At his best, Randle is a double-double machine and consistently can give you 15 points a night.
Clarkson can also be a starter in today’s NBA and is the perfect example of a scoring point guard. While he may not distribute the basketball as much as a pass-first guard, he can efficiently score as well as space the floor. He is the perfect leader of any second unit and it makes perfect sense why the Pelicans would be interested in him.