Report: Lakers Trade Target Unwilling to Play With LeBron James

The Los Angeles Lakers have one particular trade target and General Manager Rob Pelinka may be serious about getting Detroit Pistons forward Jerami Grant. Guess what… Grant is not interested in sharing the basketball court with LeBron.

If you ask Grant, he will say that he doesn’t want to take Russell Westbrook’s position. No, he doesn’t want to be Frank Vogel’s third option. He is happy with his position in Detroit.

“He left Denver to become a primary offensive player on a team. That’s how he views himself, right or wrong,” Pincus said on The NBA Chats from 19 Media Group. “I don’t think he wants to go back to being what he was in Denver, which was the primary defender and a catch and shoot guy. Playing in a corner, 3-and-D — I just don’t think that’s what he wants. That’s going to limit the number of teams that go after him.”

This suggests the Pistons offered and Lakers said no, that's not what I communicated https://t.co/f1CmznhzPS

— Eric Pincus (@EricPincus) January 25, 2022

Grant wasn’t really a Lakers trade target

The forward shared the same sentiment on Twitter.

“I’ve actually heard Lakers have passed on Jerami Grant,” Pincus said. “That he doesn’t want to play a tertiary role behind LeBron and AD. The Lakers would also have to invest big money (extension) in him. There’s also the issue of return value for a rebuilding Pistons team.”

Kevin O’Conner of The Ringer reported that the Lakers wanted to trade Talen Horton-Tucker, Kendrick Nunn, and a 2027 first-round pick to get Grant.

The team didn’t accept the offer.

“Maybe there’s a way to make it happen but I don’t think Detroit values THT the way the  Lakers need to,” Pincus said. “You’d have to do a multiteam trade to get Detroit something they do value.”

James Edward III of The Athletic made some comments about Grant’s deal.

“In regard to Grant and the trade market, I’ve gathered that the offers aren’t pouring in right now,” Edward wrote. “The majority of the chatter and interest you’ve heard in regard to Grant are more conversations than anything concrete. I do expect that to change as the deadline gets closer, but as of now, from my understanding, not many formal offers have been placed in front of Detroit.”

Pelinka will have to find other options to fix his team. The Lakers have lost too many problems at the moment. Their current record is not that great.