Luol Deng is currently finding his way out of the Los Angeles Lakers and expected to be moved before the February trade deadline. According to the latest NBA rumors, the Lakers may consider including Julius Randle in the trade package to dump Deng’s contract.
After being removed from the Lakers’ rotation, Luol Deng has been reportedly requesting a trade or a buyout. According to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN , Deng’s representatives and the Lakers are collaborating to find the best solution for the veteran small forward.
“You just never know. It could be a month, it could be a week, it could be three months,” Deng said. “I don’t want something to happen and I’m called upon but my shape holds me back. The challenge is to challenge yourself to be in better shape than if I was playing. Then if I fall short I’m still in good shape.”
Luol Deng is extremely disappointed with his situation in Los Angeles. In the recent offseason, he exerted a lot of effort to improve his skills to show that his performance last season doesn’t define who he really is. However, Deng was only given the opportunity to play one game before being completely removed from the Lakers’ rotation.
As most people think, it will be impossible for the Lakers to move Luol Deng alone. His deteriorating performance and lucrative contract make it hard for the Lakers to find a trade partner. Like what they did to dump Timofey Mozgov to the Brooklyn Nets, the Lakers should also sacrifice one of their young assets. According to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports , Julius Randle could be the best option for the Lakers.
“It’s not going to be years, but a trade could come after the season. The Lakers want to move Deng and that $26 million before free agency opens next July 1, which would put them much closer to having space for two max contracts on the roster. Then they will go big game hunting. However, to get a team to take on Deng (and not send back a contract that goes beyond this season), the Lakers are going to have to attach one of those young assets — the smart money is on Randle — to the deal to make it work for the other side.”
Julius Randle has been frequently mentioned in various trade speculations in the past months. The rumors heated up when the Lakers let the deadline pass without giving him a contract extension. Despite mostly coming off the bench this season, Randle still emerged as one of the main pieces of the Lakers’ young core. After giving enough opportunity to play, Randle showed a massive improvement in his game on both ends of the floor.
By adding Randle in the trade package, the Lakers will have a higher chance of finding a taker for Luol Deng before the February trade deadline. Successfully removing his salary from the book will greatly help the Lakers open enough cap space to sign two maximum-salary players next summer.
[Featured Image by Michael Reaves/Getty Images]
