The Los Angeles Lakers sent shockwaves throughout the NBA world when it was announced that they had traded for Luka Dončić of the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a first-round draft selection, pulling off what may be the most surprising trade in sports history.
Even after acquiring Dončić, the Lakers are yet to be finished on the trade market, as recent reports indicate that the storied franchise could be targeting two skilled role players with championship D.N.A. from the Golden State Warriors.
With Lakers’ general manager Rob Pelinka possibly still looking to increase his title odds in the present, he could approach the Warriors to inquire about a massive trade for Gary Payton II and Kevon Looney.
“Los Angeles is said to be paying attention to what the Golden State Warriors have planned, especially if they give up notable secondary players like Kevon Looney and Gary Payton II, sources said,” ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel wrote Monday afternoon.
“The Lakers would have interest in both players if traded.”
Both Payton II and Looney served as important pieces to the Warriors’ 2022 NBA championship run, which could lead to growing interest from the Lakers in landing the pair.
At 28 years old, Looney is a reliable veteran center that can dominate in the rebounding department during any given playoff series, as evidenced by his impressive 15.1 rebounds against Domantas Sabonis and the Sacramento Kings in the opening round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs.
The 6-foot-9 hustling big is currently averaging 5.2 points and 6.7 rebounds for a Warriors team trying to claw their way back into the Play-In Tournament picture.
As for Payton II, he’s developed a reputation as one of the league’s most intimidating perimeter defenders while also proving to be an extremely athletic rim-runner.
The versatile 32-year-old defender has flexed his muscle for stopping the opposing team’s most relied-upon scorers on a nightly basis, as he boasts a 111 defensive rating per 100 possessions along with an impressive 1.5 defensive box plus-minus.
By acquiring both Payton II and Looney, Los Angeles deepens their bench unit, gains another defensive force at the shooting guard position after Christie’s departure and brings in another valued center to eat up the minutes left vacant in the absence of Davis.
Though the thought of gaining the two would be of massive importance to Los Angeles, the path towards completing a deal could be somewhat complicated.
This is due to Golden State’s desire to get better as the Feb. 6 trade deadline nears, meaning that they’d like to receive a solid player in return, like Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt or even Dalton Knecht.
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