It doesn’t take an insider’s scoop to confirm that the Los Angeles Lakers are looking for any way possible to upgrade their roster. A big name like Kyle Lowry or Chris Paul would be great, though the latter seems highly unlikely. They’ve been linked to talks with the Sacramento Kings about a deal for Buddy Hield and they’ve mulled a trade for Russell Westbrook. They’ve reportedly shopped Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious-Caldwell Pope all over the league.
Now we can add another name to the Lakers’ rumor mill: Landry Shamet. Per SNY TV’s Ian Begley, the Lakers are among several teams who’ve communicated with the Brooklyn Nets about a possible trade for Shamet, whom Begley reports could command a first-round pick in return. Dallas and New Orleans are also listed as Shamet suitors.
With the Lakers owning the 22nd overall pick in Thursday’s draft, a Shamet deal could present an opportunity for Brooklyn to move up from No. 27 or just add a second first-round pick. It’s unlikely the Lakers would send a first-round pick and Kuzma or KCP (if they did it would involve more coming back from Brooklyn), but a deal for, say, Alfonzo McKinnie combined with the salary slot for the No. 22 pick would work for Shamet’s $3.7 million salary in 2021-22, the last year of his rookie deal.
We know that playmaking, shooting and shoring up the center rotation is at the top of the Lakers’ wish list. Shamet provides the shooting. He’s a 40-percent career 3-point shooter. He wasn’t great overall last season and largely fell out of favor in Brooklyn, but there have been stretches of his career when he’s looked like a really good up-and-coming player.
Shamet was surprisingly great for the Sixers as a rookie and for a minute appeared to be a core piece with the Clippers. He can play. He can definitely shoot. And you can always use more of that next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Courtesy: CBS Sports
