Lakers Suddenly Have New Competition for All-Star Trade Target

The Los Angeles Lakers already in the middle of several trade rumors as GM Rob Pelinka looks to retool this contender. One player who's been rumored as a possible target is guard Darius Garland, whose camp appears to be angling for an exit from Cleveland if the Cavaliers go all in on building around Donovan Mitchell.

Garland makes a ton of sense for LA, but it's not the only one showing early interest this offseason.

Christian Clark of NOLA.com reports the New Orleans Pelicans are one to watch in the Garland sweepstakes. Apparently the two sides had trade talks at some point during the 2023-24 season, and Clark says, "Expect those talks to resume this summer."

Now, Clark doesn't directly link Garland and New Orleans. But he notes the Pelicans are very interested in acquiring a leading guard who can take over the scoring load if Brandon Ingram leaves, and the fact he threw in there were discussions between the Pelicans and Cavaliers obviously hints at the 2021-22 All-Star being one possible target.

Garland's likely to have several suitors this offseason as he ponders a potential departure from Cleveland. While he's coming off of a disappointing 18.0 points and 6.5 assists in 2023-24, he showcased his potential right before Mitchell's arrival, when he put up a career-high 21.7 PPG and 8.6 APG during the 2021-22 campaign.

The fact Garland provides both strong scoring and playmaking makes him a great fit in Los Angeles. He'd be a legitimate third scoring option alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, while also being able to set those two leading stars up.

The presence of a strong playmaking guard who can score easily on his own is exactly what the Lakers will be looking for this summer, and Garland is luckily just one of several options to consider. Hopefully Pelinka does what it takes to land a high-impact player in the backcourt by the time the summer is over.

In other Lakers news: