Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press
With just hours to go before Thursday’s 3 p.m. ET trade deadline, the NBA rumors are swirling.
Wednesday night brought move pre-deadline deals—the Miami Heat acquired Andre Iguodala, while the Philadelphia 76ers added Alec Burks and Glen Robinson III—and another flurry of activity could be on its way.
Some of that activity could involve the Los Angeles Lakers. According to Yahoo’s Chris Haynes, they made a hard push to acquire Iguodala before Miami secured the trade:
Chris Haynes @ChrisBHaynes
Yahoo Sources. The Los Angeles Lakers have ventured down all avenues — including a last Hail Mary attempt — to seek a path to Andre Iguodala, but it is becoming apparent that Miami has Memphis’ attention right now.
The Lakers appear determined to strengthen their roster ahead of the postseason. They also looked into acquiring Dennis Schroder from the Oklahoma City Thunder, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, and appear to be in play for free-agent guard Darren Collison if he decides to un-retire after the All-Star break.
“Collison, a native of Southern California who went to UCLA, does not want to leave the area,” Sean Deveney of Heavy.com wrote. “He would prefer to sign with either the Lakers or the Clippers—and both teams need an added playmaker.”
With Collison being a realistic option, the Lakers may not be as quick to deal budding star Kyle Kuzma. While Kuzma has proved to be a valuable piece of the roster alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, he’s also the only high-end trade chip Los Angeles really has.
Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported on Tuesday that the New York Knicks and Lakers have discussed a deal involving the 24-year-old:
Shams Charania @ShamsCharania
Knicks have had exploratory conversations on Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
If the Lakers did deal Kuzma to New York, it would likely be for forward Marcus Morris.
“According to an NBA source, Knicks interim president Scott Perry has several proposed offers on the table—with the Lakers and Clippers waging their own intercity battle to nab the veteran two-way forward,” Marc Berman of the New York Post wrote.
While Morris’ $15 million salary could be tough to swallow for the Lakers and Clippers, adding him could be worth the trouble. Doing so would bring in talent while keeping the 30-year-old away from a cross-town rival.
SNY’s Danny Abriano reported the Knicks are more willing to move Morris now that former team president Steve Mills is gone.
If Los Angeles isn’t willing to move Kuzma it still may be able to make a deal before the deadline. Haynes reported on Wednesday that “multiple teams” have inquired about guard Alex Caruso.
While the Heat did snag Iguodala before a team like the Lakers could, they’re likely not done making moves. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Heat are trying to acquire Danilo Gallinari in a three-team deal involving the Memphis Grizzlies and the Oklahoma City Thunder:
Adrian Wojnarowski @wojespn
Miami, Memphis and Oklahoma City are working on an elaborate three-team deal that would land the Heat both Andre Iguodala and Danilo Gallinari, league sources tell ESPN. Talks are ongoing and could extend into Thursday, sources said.
Adding both Iguodala and Gallinari could be huge for Miami, which sits in prime playoff position at 34-16.
According to Wojnarowski, the Heat are working on a contract extension for Gallinari, which could be the last step in finalizing the deal. However, the “challenge” is doing so while also preserving cap space for the upcoming offseason.
With Gallinari’s current deal set to expire after the season, Miami could ultimately decline the deal if an extension cannot be reached.
*All contract information via Spotrac.
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