The Lakers are set for an important offseason that will feature plenty of reports and rumors, including potentially trading for Trae Young.
Any thoughts of rest for the weary were pretty quickly tossed out the window barely hours after the conclusion of the Lakers loss in Game 4 to the Nuggets on Monday. LeBron James was responsible for that as anyone with discussion of a potential retirement, immediately tossing a level of uncertainty into the team’s offseason plans.
That was just the beginning of what will be an offseason full of reports and rumors. If LeBron is indeed trying to use the threat of retirement as a leverage play to get the Lakers front office to make a move, most assume it would be for Kyrie Irving.
There’s a whole host of reasons why that will be difficult even from a financial aspect before weighing all the baggage that comes with him. But he isn’t the only point guard the Lakers could be reportedly targeting.
According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, another Klutch client and attendee of Game 4 in Trae Young is someone the team has had discussions about trading for.
It’s unclear if LeBron’s comments are merely a power move to force the Lakers’ hand into building a better roster — something he has been hesitant to do in recent seasons. For what it’s worth, Kyrie Irving and Trae Young, two All-Star-level point guards, were both sitting courtside in Los Angeles for the second time this postseason. Young, like James and Davis, is a Klutch client. The Lakers have had internal discussions about what a hypothetical trade offer for Young could look like this summer, according to multiple league sources not authorized to speak publicly.
Hey kids, dream big!
Things in Atlanta haven’t been quite that rosy with Young as the face of the franchise. Multiple coaches have departed with Young maybe/probably a factor in that. The team hasn’t been able to replicate the success they found in making the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021.
For as much as Young has gained a reputation for his role in the firings of those coaches, he’s also been incredible statistically all the same. Last season, he averaged 26.2 points per game with 10.2 assists while shooting 33.5% from the 3-point line, a figure that was safely the worst of his career.
In short, the price for him would still be astronomical in a trade. More than the Lakers can afford, which is probably why the report is worded as it is with the Lakers having “internal discussions.” They likely came to the same conclusion as we did and that it wasn’t feasible.
Young is a Klutch client, and that has helped get players to Los Angeles. But even that connection has it’s limits. Young might be dealt this summer, but it almost certainly won’t be to the Lakers.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude.
