NBA Rumors: Lakers Could Land Eric Bledsoe & Wesley Matthews For Danny Green & Alex Caruso, Report Suggests
Before the NBA went on hiatus on March 11 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Milwaukee Bucks were on top of their respective conferences and were among the leading candidates to face each other in this year’s Finals. However, the Lakers, in particular, have been described as a team with noticeable imperfections that could leave them with some room for improvement. Keeping that in mind, a new report suggested a trade between the Lakers and the Bucks that could potentially make both teams even better, with Eric Bledsoe and Wesley Matthews heading to Los Angeles in exchange for Danny Green and Alex Caruso.
Talking about why he believes such a trade might be a good one for both teams, Bleacher Report‘s Andy Bailey wrote that the deal is more of a “lateral move” between two powerhouses, with Bledsoe being a “much better” version of Caruso and Green likewise serving as a huge upgrade over Matthews. He pointed out that Bledsoe’s status as an established starting point guard could satisfy Los Angeles’ need for a second top-tier playmaker that could facilitate the offense when LeBron James isn’t on the court.
“On the season, the Lakers are minus-0.9 when Anthony Davis plays without James, largely because he’s not the kind of player who can singlehandedly carry an offense,” Bailey continued. “And combining him with a well-past-his-prime Rajon Rondo has led to some dreadful minutes.”
ERIC BLEDSOE JUST SWATTED THE BEARD! ??#FearTheDeer | #PlayersOnly pic.twitter.com/1F9zqEZw88
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) March 27, 2019
Regarding the impact of the hypothetical trade on Milwaukee, Bailey explained that the team’s one-two punch of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton runs far more seamlessly when one of the two is on the bench, with the Bucks’ offense ranking in the 94th percentile when Antetokounmpo is resting and Middleton is playing. That, he said, gives them the luxury to part ways with Bledsoe and replace him with Green, who has the advantage in height and shooting ability, aside from being a capable defender.
As for erstwhile Lakers reserve point guard Caruso, Bailey speculated that the Bucks could give him a chance to contribute, as it would be too much to expect the team’s offense to run through Antetokounmpo and Middleton for an entire game.
The above trade idea with the Bucks was just the latest offseason move suggested by Bleacher Report as a way to fulfill the Lakers’ needs for additional playmaking and/or a third offensive option to complement James and Davis. As previously documented by The Inquisitr, the outlet also recommended a trade with the Sacramento Kings that would allow them to acquire shooting guard Buddy Hield in exchange for Green and Kyle Kuzma.
