NBA Trade Rumors: LA Lakers Could Swap Kentavious Caldwell-Pope For Jae Crowder

Though they are currently sitting in the No. 1 spot in the Western Conference, there are still plenty of things that the Los Angeles Lakers need to address in order to have a better chance of winning the NBA championship title in the 2019-20 NBA season. As of now, rumors are circulating that the Lakers are seeking a three-and-D wing who could serve as the primary backup for LeBron James when he needs to rest or suffers an injury. According to Jonathan Kiernan of Fansided’s Lake Show Life, the Lakers may consider targeting Jae Crowder of the Memphis Grizzlies before the 2020 February NBA trade deadline.

In the proposed trade deal by Fansided’s Lake Show Life, the Lakers would be sending Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to the Grizzlies in exchange for Crowder. However, though the deal would work financially, both NBA teams would be needing to wait until mid-December to make the trade since Caldwell-Pope just signed a new contract in the 2019 NBA free agency. Also, before engaging him in any trade negotiation, the Lakers should first ask permission from Caldwell-Pope since he has a no-trade clause in his contract.

If the trade becomes a reality, it would help the Lakers and the Grizzlies in filling up the needs to improve on their roster. For the Lakers, Kiernan believes the potential arrival of Crowder would allow them to become a more competitive team in the 2019-20 NBA season.

“With Crowder, you know exactly what you are getting. You get a tough two-way player who is going to play hardnosed defense and is not afraid to get into his man’s chest on a nightly basis. You get a solid 3 and D player who will provide you with quality minutes off the bench when the likes of LeBron James and Danny Green are off the floor. In Crowder, you get a versatile defender who has been capable of defending some of the league’s best players over the years and has never backed down from the best players in the game.”

The Lakers are currently keeping an eye on another member of the Grizzlies, Andre Iguodala. However, if the Grizzlies trade Iguodala somewhere else, Crowder would be a good target for the Lakers. Crowder may not have a championship experience like Iguodala, but he would still give the Lakers a reliable three-and-D wingman who could be tasked to guard the opposing team’s defense.

Meanwhile, as Kiernan noted, the potential deal would also be beneficial for the Grizzlies. Caldwell-Pope would address the Grizzlies’ lack of shooting and enable them to pair Ja Morant with an experienced two-way player. With his ability to excel in an off-ball capacity, Caldwell-Pope would be the perfect backcourt partner for Morant.