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The Los Angeles Lakers are continuing their chase for a playoff spot in the Western Conference but the race for the postseason will be as tight as ever.<\/p>\n
Currently, the Lakers are sixth in the West with a 21-17 record but only 3.5 games separate the No. 5 and No. 12 seeds in the conference.<\/p>\n
To separate themselves from this bunch and establish themselves as a surefire playoff team, the Lakers need to make roster upgrades. The February 6 trade deadline is looming, and GM Rob Pelinka would be wise not to leave any stone unturned.<\/p>\n
Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz identified a dream and a realistic trade target for each team ahead of the deadline. As part of this exercise, he had Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray as an option for the Lakers.<\/p>\n
The Lakers certainly have the scratch to trade for Dejounte Murray.<\/p>\n
They have two first-round picks, multiple second-rounders, and pick swaps that they can use to acquire the 28-year-old combo guard. They can use a combination of Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, and Jarred Vanderbilt to match salaries.<\/p>\n
Considering the fact that the Lakers were reportedly interested in Murray in the offseason makes this a potentially realistic deal. Instead, the Hawks decided to trade the one-time All-Star to the Pelicans for two first-round picks, Dyson Daniels, and Larry Nance Jr.<\/p>\n
That deal hasn’t worked out for New Orleans, as Murray is in the midst of his least efficient season, shooting 39% from the field and 30.3% from three. The Pelicans have been the most disappointing team in the league this season, even with injuries considered.<\/p>\n
Therefore, they should presumably be more than open to trading Murray. Whether the Lakers should give up significant draft assets (i.e. two first-rounders) to acquire him is a different question. If the price is right, however, Murray would be a worthy flyer for the Lakers desperate to make a splash.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Los Angeles Lakers are continuing their chase for a playoff spot in the Western Conference but the race for the postseason will be as tight as… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":27338,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27337","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba"],"yoast_head":"\n