NBA Trade Rumors: Will the Los Angeles Lakers Be Able to Move Swingman Luol Deng This Season?
Deng and Lakers working together to find a deal that could get him out of Los Angeles
The Los Angeles Lakers' youth movement has energized the franchise and its fan base, but it has not exactly been a positive for every current member of the organization.
Now that the franchise is focused on giving their young players every minute and opportunity to succeed, that has led to some of the veterans on the roster getting less playing time.
One of those veterans is Luol Deng.
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The Lakers signed Deng to a four-year, $72 million deal last year, which was puzzling at the time. The move has only looked worse as the days have gone by.
Though Deng was one of the better all-around players in the league during his prime, his 2016-17 campaign with the Lakers turned out to be less than stellar, with the swingman averaging less than double digits points for the first time in his career and failing to crack 40 percent shooting from the field, as seen in Basketball-Reference.
That is not exactly the kind of numbers the Lakers were looking for, and understandably, the franchise has chosen to bench their unproductive veteran for younger players who still have plenty of potential to tap into.
Deng has handled the situation professionally, but that does not necessarily mean he is content with his reduced role.
Speaking recently to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, Deng revealed that he and his agent Jeff Austin from Octagon sports management are now cooperating with the Lakers to secure either a buyout or a trade to another team.
Still, even if Deng and the Lakers are on the same page in terms of pursuing a potential trade, that does not mean that one will materialize.
Deng's unimpressive numbers will make him a tough sell for the Lakers and all that money remaining on his contract will only work to make the idea of trading for him less appealing to other teams.
The Lakers and Deng may want a trade, but they may struggle mightily to find a partner.
If this situation between Deng and the Lakers is going to be resolved, the only way it may really happen is through a buyout.
More news about the latest NBA rumors should be made available soon.
