The Los Angeles Lakers have made it no secret they want to trade Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle before the deadline. The Lakers want to shed their contracts in the hope of clearing more cap space for the 2018 NBA Free Agency this summer.
Clarkson and Randle are expected to get a lot of attention heading into the February 8 trade deadline. Both players are currently being linked to the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are looking to improve their roster in preparation for another deep playoff run later in the season.
Clarkson, Randle joining King James in Northeast Ohio?
The Cavaliers reached out to the Lakers about a possible deal for Clarkson, ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski revealed. Another insider, Brian Windhorst of ESPN, also reported last week Cleveland is talking to Los Angeles about possible trades before the deadline.
Clarkson, who is playing in his fourth season in the league, will bring fresh energy to the struggling Cavaliers backcourt. The 25-year-old guard is averaging 14.7 points on top of 3.3 assists and 3.0 rebounds this season.
Aside from Clarkson, the Cavaliers were also tagged as an ideal landing spot for Randle. The fourth-year forward has been a constant subject of trade rumors this season since the Lakers made it clear they are looking to clear cap space to chase superstars in free agency this summer.
Acquiring Randle makes sense for the Cavaliers, who will be without Kevin Love probably for the rest of the regular season. Love went down with a broken hand, and Randle looks capable of producing for the Cavaliers, as the former Kentucky standout is averaging 13.8 points and 7.3 rebounds in 23.5 minutes per game.
Can Cleveland convince the Lakers to trade both youngsters?
The Cavaliers do not have many assets to offer in possible trades this season unless they eventually become open to dealing Isaiah Thomas and the Brooklyn Nets 2018 first-round pick. The Lakers are expected to look for expiring deals and picks for both Clarkson and Randle.
Cleveland could offer Channing Frye along with their own first-round pick this year. Cleveland’s pick could land in the mid-20s in the 2018 NBA Draft, and the Los Angeles could use it to select a player who can be a factor in their rebuilding process or in future trades.
To make the salary match, the Cavaliers might also need to add Iman Shumpert in a possible deal. However, the veteran guard is expected to exercise his $11 million option for the 2018-19 NBA season, which will hurt Los Angeles’ cap space this summer.
But to compensate for Shumpert’s possible cap hit next season, Cleveland could offer another future pick or one of their promising prospects – either Ante Zizic or Cedi Osman. However, it is still unknown at this point if Cleveland are willing to part ways with future assets, knowing that LeBron James might leave again in the offseason.
