Lakers Pushed to Trade ‘Disappointing Starter’ for Emerging Wolves Guard

The Los Angeles Lakers had a disappointing season and the front office is already planning the next move. According to recent reports, the Lakers will take part in a trade deal in order to get a Wolves guard.

LA has been linked to many superstars and some say that Rob Pelinka will target smaller names. The team has plenty of defense and the General Manager will probably try to bring in some offensive talent.

Pelinka has yet to find a dependable third scorer. Anthony Davis and LeBron James suffered terrible injuries and missed a lot of time on the field. Who is the best third option behind these two?

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is excellent on the defense and he is a nice contributor on the offense. Well, KCP didn’t play well in the playoffs. The Lakers really needed him. In the series against the Phoenix Suns, KCP was averaging 6.2 points on 37.9% shooting and made 21.1% of his threes.

The Lakers may trade for a talented Wolves guard

Greg Swartz from Bleacher Report says that LA should trade KCP and their 2021 first-round pick for Minnesota Timberwolves guard Malik Beasley.

“Beasley gives the Lakers the scoring punch they need when LeBron James and Anthony Davis need a breather, and he’s a terrific floor-spacer and off-ball threat (41.3 percent on catch-and-shoot threes). Caldwell-Pope is good enough to become Minnesota’s starting small forward, a three-and-D wing between Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns. The Wolves agree to this deal to pick up a 2021 first-round pick, however, especially after trading both their selections to the Golden State Warriors in the Andrew Wiggins-D’Angelo Russell swap.”

Beasley wouldn’t provide a strong defense and there’s a huge question mark on his back. Prior to signing with the Wolves, he never averaged more than 11.3 points per game. In his 51 games with the Timberwolves, Beasley is averaging 19.9 points per game. The guard is shooting 40.6% from three in these two seasons. He is someone who could really help the Lakers at this point.

Pelinka will have to make a few big decisions in the offseason. Hopefully, his superstars will stay healthy.