NBA Trade Rumors: LaMarcus Aldridge And Brandon Knight Heading To The Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers are looking to make a big splash this season. However, things have not exactly panned out for the Lakers this season as they have fallen to the bottom of the western conference. While no one expected the Lakers to be contending for the championship, a lot of people figured that the addition of head coach Luke Walton and their talented young core will be enough to vie for a playoff spot.

Most analysts would like the Los Angeles Lakers to hold their ground and keep on developing the young core of D’Angelo Russell, Brandon Ingram, Jordan Clarkson, and Julius Randle. However, not all teams have the added pressure to contend like the Lakers. Their Executive Vice President of basketball operations, Jim Buss, is already running out of time because of some promises he made earlier when he took over the whole Lakers’ operation.

According to Fox Sports, Jim Buss has made a big promise that the Los Angeles Lakers will be back in contention after 3-4 years. That time is now, and the Lakers are in no way looking anything like contenders. Jean Buss, another part owner of the Los Angeles Lakers, is reportedly contemplating replacing her brother because of all the pressures from the other board members.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, so a report by Fansided of a possible Los Angeles Lakers trade scenario is pretty interesting. The article says that the Lakers should once again explore acquiring LaMarcus Aldridge from the San Antonio Spurs. This sounds like a long shot considering that Aldridge has a bitter history with the Los Angeles Lakers franchise stemming from previous botched free agency talks.

However, now is not a good time to hold grudges for the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers are a bit lost at the center position and getting LaMarcus Aldridge might be the perfect solution. Aldridge has not been dominating for the Spurs as much as they would like to and there is some rumbling that he is not entirely happy with his role. The Spurs are winning, but with the surging Warriors looking near invincible, they might not be making the finals yet again.

The Los Angeles Lakers may need to break up that young core if they plan to do this. But getting Aldridge might just be worth it. LaMarcus will be a much better fit for the Los Angeles Lakers than his current situation in San Antonio. The Lakers will give him more touches as well as better utilize his great pick and roll game.

However, this will all hinge on what happens at San Antonio. If the Spurs start sputtering down the stretch and LaMarcus once again begins complaining and showing unrest, then it might be best to part ways. The Lakers should definitely try to nab Aldridge once again. They probably will still miss the playoffs, but at least the teams will show signs of “contending” at the win-loss column and may just be enough to save Jim Buss’ job.

Another thing that could be brewing for the Lakers is trading for a Brandon Knight. The same article suggests moving Russell to the shooting guard position and getting Knight from the Phoenix Suns. With this move, the Lakers will become one of the fastest teams in the NBA. Add LaMarcus Aldridge and the Los Angeles Lakers can be a force to reckon with.

Ultimately, the Lakers will have to make moves before the trade deadline passes. Los Angeles fans who are spoiled from the days of Shaq and Kobe are tired of seeing the Lakers at the bottom. The board are probably weary too, losing games means losing ticket sales. Jim Buss needs to look at all his options and may be a good time to revisit old talks for the Los Angeles’ Lakers sake.

[Featured Image by Eric Gay/AP Images]