NBA trade rumors roundup: Lakers still looking for big man, Mavericks likely to lock up Irving this summer

This is about the quietest time on the calendar for NBA trade rumors — November deals are very rare (and tend to have been percolating for a long time). Generally, trade talk doesn’t start to fully move into gear until around Dec. 15, when most of the players who signed new contracts or extensions this summer can be included in a trade.

That said, the trade speculation never stops around the league, so let’s talk about some of the latest rumors.

Lakers still seeking true center

This has been the case since last season ended, it’s not new so much as the talk is getting louder because the Lakers have started 10-5 and sit in the top four in the West. Anthony Davis is happier playing more at the four, which has the Lakers looking for the right player to step into the role JaVale McGee played during the 2020 championship season — they want a true five, Jake Fischer said during a live chat/event at Bleacher report.

The name that comes up the most is the Pelicans’ Jonas Valanciunas, who is a big body, sets a strong screen and can space the floor. Nikola Vucevic with the Bulls could be another possible target, same with Nick Claxton in Brooklyn, Robert Williams III has looked sharp since returning to the Portland lineup, and the long shot — if things really fall apart in Milwaukee — would the Bucks moving on from Brook Lopez (that seems unlikely). That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Lakers rumors will be flying around, as always.

Whether they do anything about it is another issue. The Lakers are right up against the second tax apron (less than $1 million below it), and reports are they will not go over that line, plus they become hard-capped at the second apron if they aggregate salaries in a trade. This means that constructing a trade will be challenging, where the Lakers will not/cannot take on more money than they send out.

Mavericks “extremely happy” with Kyrie Irving

One guy not going to hit the trade market? Kyrie Irving. Not that this is a surprise, but ESPN’s Tim MacMahon said on the Hoop Collective podcast that Dallas wants to make this a long-term partnership.

“He has a $42 million player option. Look,…

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Author : NBC Sports

Publish date : 2024-11-24 04:11:00

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