The Los Angeles Lakers currently possess a 13-11 record and the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference following their latest 107-98 victory against the Portland Trail Blazers Sunday night.
Los Angeles’ early-season MVP candidate Anthony Davis poured in 30 points and 11 rebounds, both team-high totals. Davis is averaging 27.5 points and 11.2 rebounds on a wonderful 61.0% true shooting percentage.
While both Davis and future Hall-of-Fame forward LeBron James have done all they can to keep the Lakers in postseason contention, it appears that their 113.0 offensive rating which ranks at No. 17 in the league needs improvement.
Specifically, Los Angeles may desire more scoring production from the guard position as D’Angelo Russell’s offensive regression continues to be a negative factor.
To remedy this issue and make a potential push to become a top-ten offense by the season’s end, the Lakers general manager may be tempted to pick up the phone and contact the New Orleans Pelicans to inquire about their star scorer on an expiring contract.
The Pelicans’ 33-year-old veteran guard CJ McCollum has become the definition of a consistent scoring option over the past decade, averaging 20-plus points for ten consecutive seasons dating back to the 2015-16 season when he took home the Most Improved Player award.
McCollum is currently averaging 21.5 points, 3.8 assists and 1.2 steals on a 52.7% effective field goal percentage in 13 appearances for the Pelicans this season.
New Orleans sits at the bottom of the Western Conference standings with a 5-21 record after being ravaged by injuries, making McCollum a highly sought-after trade target as the deadline approaches.
Due to these recent developments, the Lakers have been named as a potential destination for the versatile McCollum in recent reports.
“The Lakers would create a dynamic new Big Three by acquiring CJ McCollum to complement LeBron James and Anthony Davis,” wrote Fadeaway World’s Eddie Bitar on Thursday.
“His ability to create his own shot and knock down perimeter jumpers would take pressure off James and Davis, allowing them to focus on dominating their respective areas of the court.”
To land McCollum, the Lakers would likely choose to unload one of several players with large contracts like Russell or Gabe Vincent. They’d also supply New Orleans with prospects like Max Christie or Jalen Hood-Schifino paired with draft compensation to help accelerate their rebuild.
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