New NBA rumors point to a pair of high-impact centers that may be high on the Los Angeles Lakers trade wishlist.
The first half of the Lakers 2024-25 season was always expected to be up-and-down. In the summer, the organization chose not to make major moves to the roster. Instead, they decided a head coach change was the remedy to their problems last season.
However, they replaced Darvin Ham with NBA veteran JJ Redick. A former ESPN analyst who has not been a head coach at any level.
The team enters their Christmas Day game against the Golden State Warriors with a 16-13 record. And signs that this team can get better as the synergy between the roster and their new coach improves.
The first half of the Lakers 2024-25 season was always expected to be up-and-down. In the summer, the organization chose not to make major moves to the roster.
Instead, they decided a head coach change was the remedy to their problems last season.
However, they replaced Darvin Ham with NBA veteran JJ Redick. A former ESPN analyst who has not been a head coach at any level.
The team enters their Christmas Day game against the Golden State Warriors with a 16-13 record. And signs that this team can get better as the synergy between the roster and their new coach improves.
But even since the summer, upgrades to the roster were viewed as an eventuality. And upgrading the center spot has been a rumored priority during that time. The organization has been linked to several big men in recent weeks. Including Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas and injury-prove NBA veteran Robert Williams.
But this week brought new rumblings with some other names allegedly on the Lakers trade wishlist.
- Myles Turner stats (2024): 15.3 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 1.6 APG, 2.1 BPG, 41% 3PT
Myles Turner and Nikola Vucevic on the Los Angeles Lakers trade wishlist?
On Monday, Lakers reporter Jovan Buha revealed in a new post on his YouTube channel that the team has “been very high on” Pacers star Myles Turner for several years, and that has not changed in 2024. But Buha also suggested he has not gotten the sense Indiana is finally willing to make Turner trade rumors a reality before February’s trade deadline.
Nevertheless, the Pacers have had a disappointing season thus far, and if that continues into the All-Star break their thinking about holding on to Turner could certainly change. Along with the Turner speculation, there is another big man the Lakers are allegedly looking hard at and he is having an All-Star-level season.
- Nikola Vucevic stats (2024): 20.7 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 3.2 APG, 0.8 BPG, 45% 3PT
Clutch Points NBA insider Brett Siegel claimed over the weekend that LA is among four teams in the hunt for Chicago Bulls starting center Nikola Vucevic.
“The 34-year-old center is viewed by many organizations as the best frontcourt talent available on the trade market right now. The Warriors, Lakers, Pelicans, and Detroit Pistons have all expressed interest in Vucevic,” sources told Siegel.
