Multiple LA Lakers writers have claimed that the team should target recently bought 11-year veteran winger Will Barton on the buyout market.
In other news, the Minnesota Timberwolves had no interest in re-signing combo guard D’Angelo Russell before trading him to Los Angeles.
Along those lines, here are the latest rumors surrounding the LA Lakers as of February 23, 2023.
Analysts believe LA Lakers should target Will Barton
Will Barton finalized the purchase of a contract with the Washington Wizards on Tuesday, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The veteran is now free to sign a playoff contender before the March 1 deadline for players to remain playoff-eligible.
Barton struggled with inefficiency during his one season in Washington. However, he has still proven to be a valuable wing shooter for the Denver Nuggets in the past. That’s why many Lakers writers, including Lake Show Life’s Jason Reed, believe LA should target Barton.
“While he’s not a traditional small forward (which is what the Lakers lack), he can still provide minutes on the wing, since he’s not another small guard. At 6-foot-6, he can more than hold his own as the three in a lineup,” Reed wrote.
“The former Portland Trail Blazer and Denver Nugget doesn’t have a huge amount of playoff experience, but he has been in big places. Barton has played in 29 playoff games and, as seen in the clip above, has shown that he can make a great shot at a great time.”
In 40 games with Washington, the 32-year-old Barton averaged 7.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game on just 38.7% shooting. Barton has career averages of 11.4 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.7 apg, 0.7 spg and 1.3 3pg as he shoots 43.1% and 35.5% from deep.
It remains to be seen if the Lakers will finally go after Barton after his flurry of moves at the trade deadline.
Timberwolves had no interest in re-signing D’Angelo Russell
The LA Lakers acquired D’Angelo Russell from the Minnesota Timberwolves before the trade deadline in a three-team deal involving Utah. Since then, Russell has performed pretty well in three games for LA. However, a recent report by Darren Wolfson on “The Scoop w/ Doogie” podcast shed some light on why Russell was so available:
“Now that Russell is gone, he’s in Los Angeles, just know this: Tim Connelly never wanted to extend impending free agency,” Wolfson reported.
Most would agree that Russell is a talented offensive player. However, his shot selection and defensive efforts have been questioned in the past. This was probably one of the main reasons Minnesota was ready to move on from him.
It remains to be seen if the Lakers will experience similar issues with Russell in the future. But so far, so good for Russell during his second stint with Los Angeles.
In three games for the Lakers, Russell is averaging 17.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 5.7 apg, and 2.0 3pg on 45.0% shooting. LA (27-32, 13th in the West) has gone 2-1.
LA Lakers potential free agent target switches to Klutch Sports Group
Toronto Raptors star point guard Fred VanVleet has long been rumored to be a target for the LA Lakers. VanVleet is expected to decline his $22.8 million player option to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. This will provide the Lakers with a potential opportunity to sign him.
Interestingly, VanVleet has reportedly signed with Klutch Sports Group, the agency that represents Lakers stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis. This has only fueled more rumors that VanVleet could be heading to Los Angeles.
VanVleet is averaging 19.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 6.6 apg, 1.6 spg, and 3.0 3pg while shooting 39.4% and 34.4% from deep. Despite having a down year in terms of efficiency, VanVleet remains a proven NBA champion and was an All-Star last season. He will also turn 29 later this week. VanVleet could prove to be the missing piece for the Lakers if they don’t get back on track to finish this season.