The Tribune

By INIGO ‘NAUGHTY’ ZENICAZELAYA

As the NBA heads toward the all star break and the league’s trade deadline, I have three potential Laker trade targets that could solidify the defending champions run at a repeat.

Let’s have a closer look :

DEVONTE GRAHAM

• Charlotte Hornets

• Devonte Graham would help on both fronts. His roll has diminished as defences started to figure out his impact plummets when he’s run off of the three-point arc. Lacking both size and explosiveness, he’s shot under 40 percent from the field for his entire career. The Lakers need more three-point splashes, and the 6’1” guard has been decent from the arc and far more effective than from the field averaging 3.4 long-range makes at a 36.6 percent clip since the start of 2019-20.

GEORGE HILL -

Oklahoma City Thunder

• Hill has shared the floor with James before, so he knows exactly what to expect. Hill also has 127 games of playoff experience, so not even the big stage of the postseason and all the lights would affect him. The 34-year-old Hill’s game is quite adjustable so he could blend his talents to fit wherever the roster needed him.Hill can handle either guard post at both ends of the floor. He can lead an offence in spurts, but he’s best off the ball as a catch-and-launch gunner, a career 38.4 percent shooter from deep. Which is ideally where the Lakers would utilise his skill set, considering their entire offence runs through either LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

P.J. TUCKER -

Houston Rockets

• Tucker’s versatility at 6’5”, 245-pounds allows him to harass wings on the perimeter and bang with the best of big men on the low block. From a system or scheme stand point Tucker would be an instant plug and play, fitting with any lineup Lakers coach Frank Vogel decides to deploy, especially if his career three-point percentage of 35.9 holds firm. The Lakers have serious interest in Tucker, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The Lakers front office feel they aren’t getting enough out of Montrezl Harrell and Marco Gasol, both face decreased roles come playoff time. With the addition of Tucker, provided his perimeter shots are falling and his ability to defend opposing bigs remains at a high level, will allow the Lakers to move Anthony Davis to centre, without exposing his already fragile injury riddled frame, to the wear-and-tear of playoff level, interior defensive duties.

LOOK ON THE

WHITESIDE

The Lakers have been thin in the frontcourt since February 19 when all star PF Anthony Davis went down due to a strained calf.

The Lakers have lost five of their past eight games without Davis after starting the season 21-7 and are one game behind the Phoenix Suns for the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.

Enter Hassan Whiteside from the Sacramento Kings.

Whiteside, who has missed the Sacramento Kings past five games due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols, has averaged 8.3 points and 5.7 rebounds in 23 appearances this season.

The 31-year-old will be eligible for free agency this summer after signing a one-year, $2.3 million contract with the Kings in November. If the Lakers can pull this off, it will be beneficial to both parties concerned.

The Lakers in the short term, Whiteside in the long.

‘BUDDY BUCKETS’ -

Congratulations to the Bahamas very own and Sacramento Kings’ shooting guard Buddy Hield.

Hield drained his 1,000th 3-pointer last Sunday against the Charlotte Hornets. Hield set the record in just his 350th career game, marking the shortest time in NBA history a player needed to reach 1,000 makes from distance, beating the previous record held by Stephen Curry (369).