Report: Lakers Land Starting Shooting Guard in Controversial Trade Proposal

The Los Angeles Lakers were expected to address two key needs prior to the trade deadline or through the buyout market. Initial reports linked the team to several big men. However, LA needs to improve the long-range shooting. The Lakers ranked 24^th in the league in three-point shooting at 35.2 percent heading into the All-Star break. Sam Quinn from CBS Sports says the Lakers should land Orlando Magic shooting guard Evan Fournier.

LA Lakers to land a shooting guard

This would give the team a nice shooter heading into the playoffs. Lakers fans may not be too impressed with the idea of losing Dennis Schroder in the trade. The German Native may soon leave the team.

“If the Lakers are unable to agree to an extension with Schroder prior to the deadline, swapping him out for some extra shooting becomes a viable option,” Quinn explained. “Fournier has made at 41 percent of his wide-open 3s in each of the past four seasons, the sort of shot that James creates readily. He provides enough supplementary playmaking to ease the loss of the only traditional point guard on the roster, though considering how poorly Schroder-led lineups without James have played offensively, that loss would be minimal. Schroder is a better point-of-attack defender, but Fournier’s size unlocks more switchability, which the Lakers will likely need to do more of defensively against shooting teams like the Nets and Clippers in the playoffs.”

Fournier and Schroder are in the final months of their deals. If LA doesn’t offer Schroder an extension, he will enter the open market. He earns $15.5 million and Fournier’s salary goes at $17 million.

Fournier is averaging 18.5 points, 3.8 assists, 3.1 rebounds, while shooting 37.1 percent in 21 starts for Orlando. Schroder would love to stay in LA but he also seeks a “fair” deal.

“It’s amazing,” Schroder explained in January. “That’s the reason why I think I want to be here long term, but like I said before, it’s got to be fair on both ends. If it’s fair, then I ain’t got no problems. It’s gonna be great to be here long term, for sure.”