The Los Angeles Lakers know what they want before the Feb. 5 trade deadline.
A versatile, experienced two-way wing would help the 17-time NBA champions bolster their perimeter play and shore up their defense moving forward.
Unfortunately for the Lakers, it appears unlikely they’ll acquire their No. 1 trade target, who happens to fit that profile, in the next few days.
“The teams have certainly talked during this transaction cycle, but the purple and gold are reticent to jeopardize their upcoming financial flexibility in the offseason by absorbing (De’Andre) Hunter’s $24.9 million salary for next season,” The Stein Line’s Jake Fischer and Marc Stein reported Saturday.
Essentially, while the Lakers respect Hunter’s skill set and believe he could be an impactful midseason addition, he’s a bit too expensive to land this season. Ideally, Los Angeles would find a cheaper asset who could have a similar impact on both ends of the floor.
While Hunter’s three-point shooting is down this year, his respectable long-range track record and defensive tools will help him gauge interest from other contending franchises. The Virginia product is contributing 14.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 0.7 steals per game while connecting on 42.3% of his field goals and 30.8% of his triples.
The Lakers must quickly turn their attention to other trade targets if they want to maximize the rest of the trade season.
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