The team is miserable. A rookie savior is hurt. So is a legend. The Western Conference is brutal. Few to no trade assets. A whopping 13 wins at the beginning of February.
This isn't Hollywood, though.
There is no turnaround this year. Nobody thought the rebuild would be this brutal. For crying out loud, the team just trotted out a starting lineup of Jordan Clarkson, Wayne Ellington, Ryan Kelly, Tarik Black and Robert Sacre.
With the deadline approaching, some may hope for a blockbuster deal to turn things around. That won't happen, but the team does have a few pieces it could move if the price is right.
Jeremy Lin's Market
Jeremy Lin is the first piece who comes to mind.
At best, Lin is an afterthought in Los Angeles. Once thought perhaps a strong facilitator to play next to Kobe Bryant, the 26-year-old guard is now a backup on one of the league's worst teams.
This lack of a resume-building opportunity is a major reason why Sean Deveney of Sporting News wrote the following: "He still would make a good backup point guard, and the Lakers would move him if they could get an asset in return, but the market for Lin has been weak."
Lin averages a 10.4/4.7/2.5 slash line on an average of 25.8 minutes per night. In 30 minutes on February 4 against Milwaukee, he tallied a 2-of-12 mark from the field with 11 points and six assists. That's not helping his market value.
Also not helping his value is his contract. Lin is an $8.3 million cap hit this year, per Spotrac, and if teams want him, they can wait until he hits the open market this upcoming offseason.
In a perfect world, a contender rings up the Lakers and ships something—anything—away in exchange for Lin. But this is Lin, who could help a ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
