Los Angeles Lakers NBA Trade Rumors: Team Would 'Love' to Trade Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle
The Los Angeles Lakers may have to part ways with two of their young core players as they continue to make the necessary moves to free up salary cap space for two maximum-salaried players in the 2018 offseason.
The Los Angeles Times' Tania Ganguli has reported that the Lakers would "love" to ship Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle elsewhere, and both players know that they're being shopped around the league as the trade deadline approaches.
"Clarkson is taking a freewheeling approach to this season," Ganguli said in her report. "He's doing his best to listen to the coaches and he's not worrying too much about the way he portrays himself to reporters," she continued.
"Randle has more of an intense personality and his approach is showing that. He worked hard to change his body over the summer and it shows in some ways on the court. There have been times when he's made a big impact in games, just as Clarkson has, but his style doesn't always fit what the Lakers are seeking," she added.
Well, this news doesn't exactly come as a surprise since the Lakers are expected to make some moves before the deadline in February.
Clarkson has always been a solid contributor off the bench, so he will likely draw a lot of interest in the trade market. In fact, ESPN's Adrian Wojnorowski has recently said that the Lakers are confident they can find a trade partner for Clarkson even if they wait until the offseason to move him.
Randle has had to deal with inconsistent playing time throughout the season and it has to be frustrating for him. However, he has continued to play well despite the limited minutes. Randle is averaging 12.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists in under 23 minutes this season, and he's shooting a career-high 54.9 percent from the field.
