Lakers Linked To Trade Involving Dysfunctional NBA Center

The Los Angeles Lakers have had something of a rough offseason so far. They wanted to go out and acquire one or more of Klay Thompson, Dejounte Murray, DeMar DeRozan and/or Jonas Valanciunas.

Not only did they fail to get any of those guys, but to add insult to injury, they also lost Taurean Prince to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Then this week Gary Trent Jr. spurned the Lakers to sign with the Bucks, too.

So where does that leave L.A.?

According to team head coach, J.J. Redick, the squad has a gaping hole that needs to be filled.

On Wednesday Fadeaway World proposed a trade involving dysfunctional Portland Trail Blazers center, Deandre Ayton, that could turn the Lakers’ offseason around.

In the proposed agreement Gabe Vincent, Rui Hachimura and Jarred Vanderbilt would be sent to Portland, while Ayton would be shipped to Los Angeles.

In making this move, the Lakers would get a suitable center to play beside Anthony Davis – allowing the latter to focus on playing the four the way he has repeatedly said he wants to.

Last year Ayton averaged 16.7 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 55 outings. Obviously he has had some off-the-court female drama that borders on embarrassing, but he isn’t the only NBA player to fit that bill.

“For the Lakers, Ayton’s presence in the paint would be invaluable,” the report noted.

“He could serve as a primary scoring option inside, creating space for LeBron and AD to operate on the perimeter. Additionally, Ayton’s defensive skills would bolster the Lakers’ interior defense, making them a more formidable opponent in the West.”

Will the Lakers ultimately make this trade? Maybe. They are currently being linked to another deal with the Blazers, but this one could make sense as well.

Carlos Garcia

A longtime Sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB Games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.