[Scotto / Buha] Lakers Rumors: Dejounte Murray, Trade Targets, D’Angelo Russell, LeBron James, Darvin Ham

[Source](https://hoopshype.com/lists/lakers-rumors-dejounte-murray-trade-targets-dangelo-russell-lebron-james-darvin-ham/)

There’s a lot in this. Worth checking the full episode. Here are highlights on the trade stuff …

> **Scotto:** As I’ve been surveying the league, I’m trying to brainstorm who would be a good third team that could make sense to take on D’Angelo’s contract. (…) Charlotte is a team that’s willing to take on future contracts for draft picks, but he really wouldn’t fit well there with LaMelo Ball.

> Some people wonder if the Brooklyn Nets would be willing to take Russell back with Spencer Dinwiddie being involved in a trade to either the Hawks or the Lakers. (…) But I’m not sure of Brooklyn’s appetite for Russell to do that.

> This leads me to (…) the Washington Wizards as the third team. I say this because there have been reports about the Lakers having interest in Tyus Jones. There’s a willingness from Washington to use trade exceptions and use their roster to take on contracts for future draft picks. The question is, where would that pick come from? Is it from Atlanta, the Lakers, or somewhere else if they had to even add a fourth team?

> **Buha:** Brooklyn, Charlotte, Washington. Detroit and San Antonio also could get involved. It has to be a team willing to take on some bad money, likely a lottery team, that’ll look to recoup assets from the Lakers in the form of a second-round pick or two or a future pick swap. (…) Right now, this is what the Lakers are trying to figure out. Who can be that third team, what do they have to add to the deal, and are they comfortable with that?

> From my understanding, Dejounte Murray is their priority right now. To me, he’d be the most likely trade outcome right now if I was handicapping the odds. I think they’re the favorites to land him. Again, the big hurdle right now is finding that third team.

> The level that D’Angelo Russell has played at has made them rethink things a little bit as far as the caliber of player they’d be willing to give him up for. On paper, that Gabe Vincent contract would be one they’d love to move, but (…) I don’t know how a team can take that contract on without some concern about that money. (…) From a cap sheet management standpoint, trading Russell makes more sense.

> **Scotto:** Gabe Vincent is definitely viewed as a negative asset right now around the league because he’s been hurt, and he hasn’t been able to show if he can fit with the Lakers or not. There’s also always the stigma that Miami Heat role players are not as good elsewhere.

> **Buha:** If Chicago got really desperate and lowered the price on LaVine and the Dejounte move fell through for whatever reason, perhaps the Lakers would revisit those talks, but I think for now given Zach’s injury status, them pivoting more towards Dejounte or a smaller move, I think the Zach situation is pretty close to dead.

> I think the more realistic one (instead of DLo for Brown) would be Rui Hachimura for Brown. Does Toronto want to take on Rui, or do you have to reroute him in a three-team deal and are there additional assets you have to give up?

> There’s going to be a lot of competition for Dorian Finney-Smith. I saw the report that the Nets want two first-round picks for him. That’s a lot. (…) Are you doing that for Finney-Smith? I don’t think so, at least from the Lakers’ perspective.

> If you keep D’Angelo past the deadline, you are risking him opting in because he doesn’t have a market, which isn’t a good sign. Or, he opts out and you have to pay him a lot more money or lose him for nothing. Russell’s contract was essentially signed to be traded.

by Odd-Direction9452