With the 2022 NBA trade deadline just two days away, the Los Angeles Lakers are among the teams looking to shuffle the roster.
Kent Bazemore and DeAndre Jordan are two names that have emerged as trade candidates for a while now. After beginning the season as starters, both fell hard out of the rotation.
Even if they are not traded, their days in the purple and gold seem to be numbered. According to Jovan Buha and Bill Oram of The Athletic, the Lakers could dump their contracts soon:
Other than trying to move Horton-Tucker and/or Nunn, the next-most likely move for the Lakers would be dumping the contract of one of DeAndre Jordan or Kent Bazemore, either via trade or buyout, according to league sources. The goal would be to both save money on their $150-plus million cap sheet and to create an additional roster spot, according to league sources.
Moving on from both players is basically a must for the Lakers. They no longer contribute, and parting ways would open two vital roster spots.
There’s no guarantee the Lakers will land solid players via the buyout market this season — they got Andre Drummond and Ben McLemore as buyouts last season — because time will tell who is available. The path to quality players is limited, so let’s see what’s in store in the next 48 hours.
