NBA trade rumors have transformed from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Los Angeles Lakers. Jordan Clarkson is an option that the Lakers are taking into consideration. Ever since Jeanie Buss and Magic Johnson took over the Lakers operations, Clarkson remaining on the team is still a huge question.
The Lakers are in a tough position at this moment as they need to clear their salary cap space. That said, there are more chances that they will be ready to part with Clarkson. The Lakers have always had their eye on Paul George. When the Indiana Pacers were ready to trade George, the Lakers were not in a position to offer the required deal.
Are the Lakers still pursuing Paul George?
There is no doubt that the Lakers are interested in Paul George. Likewise, George is also interested in playing for Los Angeles. If they need to get a hold of a player like George, the first thing they would need to focus on is clearing their cap space. To do so, it appears that Jordan Clarkson is on the trading table.
Los Angeles is looking for a long term benefit by acquiring players like George and LeBron James. Getting hold of these big NBA stars required a lot of cap space, which currently the Lakers do not have. They might want to move one of their young players, and it goes without saying that Clarkson is on top of the list.
The Lakers would certainly look at max contract options for George or LeBron.
They have already cleared some cap space by sending Timofey Mozgov to the Brooklyn Nets. According to NESN, they need to shed some money to sign two max players next offseason.
Luol Deng is the next option to Clarkson
It seems that Clarkson is not the only one on the list for a trade, The Lakers are also open to Luol Deng. If the situation turns out to be different they might consider moving both Jordan and Luol Deng.
Deng signed a four-year, $72 million contract during the 2016 offseason with the Lakers.
On the other hand, Julius Randle also appeared in some trade rumors. Randle and Clarkson are the young guns for Los Angeles, trading them would not be an easy decision. However, if the Lakers are serious about trading Luol Deng, they could have enough money to sign two NBA top free agents.
Along with that, they might also be able to retain Julius Randle and Clarkson.
Apparently, Deng would clear the sufficient cap space for the Lakers if he is traded to another team. Jordan is one of best offensive players and giving up on him will not be easy.
