The Los Angeles Lakers finally have their new head coach (JJ Redick) andcan begin finding the best playersto add to the roster for next season.
Los Angeles will have a few opportunities to do so between the 2024 NBA Draft, free agency, and through trades. GM Rob Pelinka has to explore any avenues for this team as they need to set up first-time head coach JJ Redick for success.
The Lakers have the Nos. 17 and 55 overall picks in the draft, which will allow them to add a talented rookie or use it in a draft-night trade.Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported Mondaythat Los Angeles has made their first-round pick available via trade.
Fischer noted how multiple centers have been linked to the Lakers at No. 17, which doesn’t come as a surprise, given the team’s need for a pure five. However, one has to believe that if the Lakers can get a quality veteran player to help them in the immediate future, they will not think twice about moving the 17th overall selection.
Lakers Rumors: Jerami Grant is on Los Angeles’ Wishlist
If the Lakers decide to move their first-round pick, there’s one veteran player with ties to Klutch Sports Group that would give Los Angeles another 20-point scorer. Fischer reported on Monday that Portland Trail Blazers veteran forward Jerami Grant “is believed to be a potential addition on the Lakers’ wishlist.”
The Lakers are shopping the No. 17 pick, and Jerami Grant is a potential trade target, per@JakeLFischer
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral)June 24, 2024
“Los Angeles has also made that No. 17 selection available via trade, sources said, as the Lakers have evaluated the market for a significant contributor alongside James and…pic.twitter.com/lJRolIppAW
There’s been a lot of chatter around Grant’s name recently asIan Begley of SNY.tv reported last weekendthat several teams have ‘checked in’ on the veteran forward.
Grant is coming off a solid 2023-24 season with the Trail Blazers, averaging 21 points per game on 45.1 percent shooting from the field and 40.1 percent from beyond the arc. The 30-year-old forward is heading into the second year of a five-year, $160 million deal he signed with the Trail Blazers last summer.
The 6-foot-10 forward is scheduled to make $29.7 million next season. Therefore, if the Lakers wanted to trade for Grant, they would likely have to package the No. 17 pick, and a combo of Gabe Vincent, Rui Hachimura, or D’Angelo Russell (if he accepts his player option).
That said, would Portland be enticed by that deal from the Lakers, especially with other teams throwing their hat in the ring for Grant? That’s a question only they can answer. However, one thing we know is that the Lakers will be active this offseason as they try to get back to the top of the Western Conference.
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