Lakers' new recruitment target released: interested in swapping the Nets' two major wings The only condition for trading Reaves is exposed
On December 29, Beijing time, Jovan Buha, a Lakers celebrity, talked about the latest developments of the Lakers on a podcast. He thinks the Lakers will have a hard time getting a third star, and more realistically looking for a small upgrade on the wing. The Nets' Royce O'Neale and Finney-Smith are potential targets, and Buha also talked about the only condition the Lakers are willing to trade Reaves.
Buha said on the show: "I don't think the Lakers can get a No. 3 star who can put them on par with the Nuggets and the Celtics. In my opinion, the Lakers should be looking for a small upgrade. The 3-and-D wing has always been the biggest problem for this team, and the Lakers have not been able to find replacements for Kuzma, Pope, Danny Green, and Caruso. The Lakers will want a great 3-and-D, and probably more than one, like Royce O'Neal and Dorian Finney-Smith. The Lakers were interested in both of them before the trade deadline last season. As far as I know, the Lakers are still interested in bringing in these two players. ”
So far this season, Royce O'Neal has averaged 7.8 points per game and shot 39.2% from three-point range. Finney-Smith averaged 10.5 points per game and shot 44.8 percent from three-point range. Buha said that Royce O'Neale is not a player like Caruso, but if the Lakers can bring in these two wings, it will still be an upgrade to the overall rotation.
In addition, Buha also talked about LaVine, DeRozan and Murray, who have been caught up in trade rumors in recent days. "Compared to LaVine and DeRozan, Murray is clearly a better fit for the Lakers. But if I had to pick one of the top two, I preferred DeRozan, and I know the Lakers were thinking the same. The problem for DeRozan is that there are still some injury concerns, Murray is a better fit for the Lakers' needs right now, and the Hawks could trade him. The Lakers are also really interested in him. ”
However, Buha also said that the Lakers are not willing to pay too much leverage for Murray, especially unwilling to send Reaves. "They're definitely not willing to go out of Reaves unless they get a true All-Star caliber player. "The chips the Lakers have right now are Russell, Hachimura, Christie, Schifino plus a first-round pick and a couple of swaps. But there are clearly competitors in the market, such as Philadelphia, who can make a better offer. ”
In Buha's view, the only condition that can make the Lakers send Reaves is to get a true All-Star. Murray was named an All-Star once in the 2021-22 season, but he doesn't seem to meet the threshold of a true All-Star mentioned by Buha.
In terms of Murray's latest next odds, the Lakers are already in the lead. The specific odds rankings are: 1. Lakers (-115), 2. Knicks (+105), 3. Raptors, 76ers, Thunder, Heat (also +950).