Lakers get bad trade update on $48M elite 3-and-D wing to pair with Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves

The Los Angeles Lakers have been trying to build the best roster possible around Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, as they are now the faces of the franchise. LA has brought in a lot of new faces, but they still have some major questions.

One of the major holes in the roster is the power forward position. It is especially worrisome after losing Jonathan Kuminga to the Minnesota Timberwolves in free agency.

“Jonathan Kuminga has agreed to a two-year, $13 million deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves, plus a player option, agent Aaron Turner tells ESPN. Kuminga will be a starter alongside Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert on the West contender," ESPN's Shams Charani wrote.

The Lakers have been tied to Los Angeles Clippers power forward Derrick Jones Jr. Earlier in the week, ClutchPoints’ Tomer Azarly mentioned that he could want a trade and ask to stay in LA.

“I think sometimes agents see different opportunities around the league to play more, make more money, contend for a championship, potentially, so that could also weigh into it,” said Azarly. “If they see a better opportunity elsewhere, they’ll approach the Clippers, and the Clippers, in good faith, will try to get them where they want to go.”

That would have allowed the Lakers to get him in a trade. Now, Azarly has walked back his comments, making it known that Jones hasn’t asked for a trade as of yet.

“To address a recent post I saw, Derrick Jones Jr. has not requested a trade from the Clippers, per source. Both he and the team have a great relationship and the two sides are open to extension talks to keep the forward in Los Angeles,” he wrote.

LA can certainly go ahead and cross Jones off the list if this report is true, as it does not seem like he is leaving the Clippers as of now. That is another trade target for the Lakers that is not looking good.

Jones is currently on a $48 million deal with the Clippers. The organization will likely turn its attention elsewhere. With this being unlikely now, that does not mean it won’t be that way in a few months, so he won’t be taken completely off the board.

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