The Los Angeles Lakers are actively “looking” in the trade market to find another ballhandler capable of taking the pressure off LeBron James heading into the postseason. With the Lakers sitting comfortably at the top of the Western Conference, part of their focus will have already turned to the playoffs.
James has made it clear that he will only sit out games if he doesn’t feel 100 per cent, but the Lakers will likely start reducing his minutes in the second half of the season.
Only 15 players in the league have played more minutes than James this season with Anthony Davis also used regularly by the Lakers.
Part of the reason for James being used a lot is due to fact they average just 100.5 points per 100 possessions with him on the bench.
That’s even worse than the league’s lowest offence and it’s clear how a trade could help that second unit.
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Darren Collison has been touted as a possible move, but the Lakers will have to offload a player to make the money work.
And ESPN’s Zach Lowe reports the Lakers can’t trust Alex Caruso or Rajon Rondo to lead the offence when James takes a rest.
“It feels weird to say a dose of ballhandling would help, given both Rondo and Caruso are capable,” he wrote for ESPN.
“But Caruso isn’t a possession organiser, and late-career Rondo is hit-or-miss in that role against top defences.