Should the Los Angeles Lakers Trade for Unsettled Spurs Veteran to Help Injury Crisis

Published 12/03/2021, 9:55 PM EST

The Los Angeles Lakers are close to figuring things out as they are getting to winning ways. However, the one place they continue to lack is defense. One of the big factors to that is they do not have a true big man yet. The purple and gold have alternated between DeAndre Jordan and Dwight Howard at the big man role.

The veterans, however, aren’t able to produce at the greatest level. As a result, they have even tried to go small, but that hasn’t helped them. Meanwhile, there may be an opening for them to sign a talented big.

The San Antonio Spurs are a young, upcoming team. Led by coach Gregg Popovich, young stars are prioritized as they make their way in the league. This has left veteran Thaddeus Young in a bad spot.

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He is getting limited minutes, and that isn’t sitting well with him. In a recent interview, he spoke about how playing time is really frustrating him.

With this open call, can the Lakers pounce on this opportunity?

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Young the missing piece for the Lakers?

Thaddeus Young is a 15 year veteran in the NBA. However, that hasn’t slowed him down. Young is coming off an impressive season with the Chicago Bulls where he won the NBA Hustle award. He was traded to San Antonio when DeRozan was traded to the Bulls. Since then, his time on the floor has been limited to just a few minutes.

Young spoke of the situation saying: “Right now, this situation is not ideal for me. I’ve never been in a situation where I’ve had to settle for 4 and 6 minutes a game.” He continued, “It’s super tough. It’s very tough and frustrating at times. But at the end of the day, I understand where this franchise is going and I understand what’s happening, the young guys have to play. Whatever happens, happens.”

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A veteran, Young put up great numbers averaging 12.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.1 steals with the Bulls last season. His impact on both ends of the floor can benefit the Lakers greatly. Moreover, he is also an efficient scorer.

Last season he shot 55% from the field. With news of injuries, Young can provide the much needed stability to the team.

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With him not being in a favorable situation, Young could put in a request for a trade. Being a modern type big man, it will add the depth the Lakers need while also giving them a boost on the defensive side of things. He could be a great addition if used right.

Do you think the purple and gold should try to sign him? Let us know in the comments below.

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Written by:

Anuj Talwalkar is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. He is a student studying at NM College in Mumbai, aspiring to pursue sports management to follow his love for sports. Anuj started following the NBA last year, and he loves to combine his passion for writing with his understanding of basketball.

Should the Los Angeles Lakers Trade for Unsettled Spurs Veteran to Help Injury Crisis

Young the missing piece for the Lakers?

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