The Los Angeles Lakers are still licking their wounds after being defeated by the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals. But general manager Rob Pelinka doesn’t want to waste time preparing for next season, already starting internal talks with team management.
The general idea is to possibly bring in another star for the Lakers, who would be the perfect addition to the already existing Anthony Davis and LeBron James. Believing that the ‘King’ is not serious about retirement, The Athletic reports that Pelinka is having internal discussions about none other than Trae Young. The Atlanta Hawks star has been trying to lead his team to a positive playoff run for several years now but has been nowhere to be found.
Even though the Lakers had a great run in the playoffs, including dominating against the Golden State Warriors, it certainly wasn’t the way they expected against Denver. Pelinka did a fine job adding D’Angelo Russell, Jared Vanderbilt and Rui Hachimura during the NBA’s latest trade deadline.
But frankly, those additions weren’t enough to compete against title contenders like the Denver Nuggets. At this point, the most obvious way to compete is to try to sign another superstar. As the trade deadline approached, even LeBron James tried to pursue Kyrie Irving, but that didn’t work.
Does Trae Young Enter The Lakers?
The Lakers’ failed attempt to sign Kyrie Irving was a sign of intent, apparently they are in the market for one of the best shooters in the NBA. Since Kyrie was not possible, the Lakers would look to acquire Trae Young. In his career, he has averaged 25.5 points, which is definitely All-Star-level statistics.
He has also become the leader of the Atlanta Hawks with impressive and consistent performances, playing for a team that is lacking in every other department. Trae Young currently has a 5 year deal that will guarantee him $215,159,700. Assuming James doesn’t retire, the Lakers would be much better off if they could somehow convince Trae Young to join them.
