Lakers Show Interest In Trading For $19 Million Small Forward

The Los Angeles Lakers are eyeing each and every option on their table. General Manager Rob Pelinka traded for Patrick Beverley and it seems like the Lakers may soon trade for a small forward.

John Gambadoro from Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Phoenix reported that the Lakers may consider trading for Bojan Bogdanovic. The Utah Jazz are rebuilding their roster and there may be no room for the small forward. Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell are already out.

Lakers could get the best of the small forward

Bogdanovic is a spectacular player and he has already attracted the attention of several teams, including the Phoenix Suns, New York Knicks, and Dallas Mavericks. He is not the only player to leave the team. The Jazz may also shop Mike Conley and Jordan Clarkson.

The Jazz forward will earn $19.3 million in 2022-23. He enters the open market in 2023 which makes him a good target for most NBA teams. Bogdanovic averaged 18.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game with the team last season. He went 45.5% from the field, 38.7% from beyond the arc, and 85.8% from the free-throw line.

How will the Lakers get Bogdanovic? Russell Westbrook is a good option to trade. A Western Conference executive advised the Lakers to trade Russ and draft picks to get Bogdanovic or other Jazz players.

“The two Lakers picks are the most powerful thing as far as picks go in the league right now,” the exec told Sean Deveney from Heavy. “Everyone expects them to be top picks, and if you can get them unprotected, everybody wants those. The Lakers only want to give up one and now you have to be thinking, if you’re the Lakers, OK, (Malik) Beasley, Bogdanovic and Jarred Vanderbilt for one of these picks and Russ? Or, you know, Clarkson or Conley in there? You’re going to want three of those five players, give up Westbrook and only deal off one of the picks. Danny (Ainge) might get more picks if he sells those off individually but he is not going to get better picks, and that is the thing the Lakers have as an advantage.”