NBA Trade Rumors for 2016-17 NBA Season: Okafor to Lakers, Westbrook or Griffin Next Face of the Lakers, Cousins to be Traded
Over the course of the 2016-17 NBA regular season, teams will figure out what works for their roster and continue to improve their team, at least until the trade deadline. With pre-season team practices drawing near, trade rumors continue to flourish in the news. Here are the latest NBA trade rumors for the 2016-17 NBA season.
1. Jahlil Okafor to Los Angeles Lakers
With so many players in the Philadelphia 76ers front court, at least one big man is bound to move to another team, and Okafor may be that player. If the Sixers decide to trade Okafor, there are a number of teams that might benefit from getting him.
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One of these teams is the Los Angeles Lakers. Jahlil Okafor seems to fit the mold that the Lakers is forming; that of a team filled with young talent, making the future bright for the franchise. While the Lakers signed a hefty deal to get Timofey Mozgov, Okafor may be the better big man, playing alongside other young guns like Clarkson and D'Angelo Russell.
One way to get Okafor to the Lakers is for the Los Angeles franchise to give up Brandon Ingram. The Sixers can use Ingram since they lack depth at the small forward position.
Jahlil Okafor averaged 17.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game last season; his rookie year.
2. Blake Griffin and Russell Westbrook to the Lakers Next Season
According to iTech Post, the Los Angeles Lakers might engage in epic trades next season to get superstars Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers and Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Griffin averaged 21.4 points, 8.4 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game last season, while Westbrook averaged 23.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 10.4 points per game last season.
According to Eric Pincus of Basketball Insider, the Los Angeles Lakers "has held off on signing Tarik Black, Marcelo Huertas and second-overall pick Brandon Ingram, keeping an eye on what could be $13.6 million in cap room. The Lakers do have an unnamed target in mind, but they are also preserving space for another opportunistic Calderon-like deal."
This unnamed target could be the Lakers' next franchise face after Kobe Bryant. It could be Griffin or Westbrook. What keeps this from realizing, though, is the fact that both players have expressed, in some form or another, their loyalty to their current teams.
Without Blake Griffin, the Clippers can still make it to the playoffs. It might make sense to trade him away and get younger players who have star potential for the team's future.
3. DeMarcus Cousins to be Traded
DeMarcus Cousins is the subject of many NBA trade rumors. Teams rumored to be interested in him include the Bulls, Kings and even the defending champs Cleveland Cavaliers.
Cousins is a talented big man; perhaps the best offensive big man in the league today. He has a wide set of post moves and is a monster when it comes to rebounding the ball. But sometimes, talent alone doesn't guarantee a player's longevity in a franchise.
Cousins has had issues related to locker room clashes, overall team fit, and a dreary set of teammates. Cousins even had a clash with coach George Karl. Getting rid of Cousins might bring harmony back to the Kings, which may be deemed more important than keeping a talented center in their roster.
