Transfer talks heat up despite the return of Kobe Bryant.
The Los Angeles Lakers are still looking at ways of being competitive this NBA as injuries to their back court depth begin to hit hard.
With Steve Blake, who is expected to miss at least six weeks with an elbow injury, joining point guards Steve Nash and Jordan Farmar on the injured list, the Lakers could be interested in strengthening their backcourt.
Despite the recent return of superstar Kobe Bryant to full-time playing duties, the Lakers have struggled for consistent form as they wait for Bryant to rediscover his shot.
A possible short-term solution has emerged with the team reaching out to the New York Knicks about the possibility of a trade or deal involving their out of favor shooting guard Iman Shumpert.
Several other teams, including Toronto and Denver, have also expressed their interest in Shumpert, despite him struggling with the Knicks this season, averaging just 6.6 points a season at a lowly 38 per cent from the field.
The Lakers also are interested in another Knicks player – center Tyson Chandler. The Lakers did not inquire about Chandler when they called about Shumpert, but they are weighing whether to propose a Pau Gasol-for-Chandler trade, according to sources.
The Knicks are not looking to move Chandler — several teams have contacted them about him – but if a club agreed to take back struggling guard J.R. Smith, the Knicks would consider such a deal.
With Smith having signed a three-year, $18 million contract this past summer, the Lakers aren’t likely to be interested in him.
COMMENTS