After missing out on DeAndre Jordan, LaMarcus Aldridge and Kevin Love, the Los Angeles Lakers are working to make several moves in the second week of NBA free agency. The team has acquired some big names like Lou Williams along with Brandon Bass to help, but it is trade deals that could come next as the Lakers push to acquire Roy Hibbert in the coming days.
According to ESPN's Marc Stein, the Lakers and Indiana Pacers are discussing a trade for Hibbert that could be finalized any day now. Stein reports that while Hibbert was not in the original plans for the Lakers, he is their best option as of now with most of the talent big men taken off the market. Hibbert became available for trades after the Pacers wanted to fully invest in Paul George and build around him. They determined that did not include Hibbert and his salary.
Hibbert is set to be paid $15.5 million this season after opting in to the player option of his contract. He would be the immediate start for the team who opted to not draft Jahlik Okafor or Karl-Anthony Towns and instead selected D'Angelo Russell to help out at point guard. The Lakers have some assets they can give up in the deal which might include Nick Young.
With players Williams and Bass arriving in Los Angeles, Young looks to be on his way out. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, Young is the best candidate to get moved in the coming days in order to take on Hibbert's contract. the Lakers have tested the trade market for Young in the past, but nothing came of it. Now they hope that any team who missed out on players like Arron Afflalo or Wesley Matthews will aim to get Young instead.
The Sacramento Kings are looking for scoring help as they target Josh Smith. The Boston Celtics could easily be an option as well for depth. The Cleveland Cavaliers are currently aiming to acquire Joe Johnson in a trade with the Brooklyn Nets. Young might be the easier option to get. The Lakers will likely see if the Pacers are willing to acquire him in the trade for Hibbert. Young is known for his scoring outbursts during games. As a native to the Los Angeles area, he likely will take to kindly to a trade.
