Amid a 10-6 start to the season, conventional wisdom would tell the Los Angeles Lakers to stay the course and prepare for a deep playoff run with their current roster. However, in the NBA media cycle, any team can be included in trade rumors regardless of record, and the Lakers are no exception.
Los Angeles has been linked to plenty of players already this season, with centers and perimeter defenders being the main focus. However, as Hollywood’s favorite team, the Lakers tend to go big and sparkle. The team has been linked to the likes of Trae Young, LaMelo Ball, Jimmy Butler and even Giannis Antetokounmpo at points, but the plausibility of such a deal can be called into question.
Still, as the wheels of the rumor mill turn, it’s hard not to imagine LeBron James and Anthony Davis adding a third star to the fold. Recently, one insider floated the idea of the Lakers swinging a trade for Paul George from the fledgling Philadelphia 76ers.
“In just basketball terms, George makes a ton of sense,” wrote Clutch Point’s Anthony Irwin on Nov. 20. “He's a knockdown three-point shooter, especially in catch-and-shoot opportunities. He can handle the ball, too, which helps when either Davis or LeBron James is off the floor. Athletically, he's still got enough in the tank to defend well, too. In theory, it's perfect.”
This season, George is only averaging 14.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists. He is also shooting only 27.8% from 3-point range, which is the lowest of his career.
For the Lakers to swing such a deal, they would have to be overwhelmingly confident that George would return to form, and soon. The trade package alone for him would cripple the Lakers’ depth.
“You're probably looking at a trade of D'Angelo Russell's expiring $18M, Rui Hachimura ($17M), Gabe Vincent ($11M) and either Jaxson Hayes or Cam Reddish ($2.5M), plus the 2029 and '31 first-round picks and probably a few second-rounders/picks swaps on top of it all, and that's if Philly doesn't demand Dalton Knecht or Austin Reaves,” Irwin continued.
At the end of the day, Irwin conceded that a deal doesn’t really make sense for George to head to the Lakers. He signed an ascending four-year deal with the 76ers, is already 34 years old and has an extensive injury history. For a team to take a risk on George would be shocking, and the Lakers aren’t in a position to gamble.
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