Lakers trade news: Young core 'untouchable' in trade deals unless 'significant' transaction is available – report

The Los Angeles Lakers are expected to hang tight to their core of young talents, insisting that the likes of Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle, and D’Angelo Russell are “untouchable” for potential trade deals. However, the Lakers may pull the trigger to send either of the three if a “significant” move is up for grabs, according to the latest NBA rumours.

Dan Woike of the Orange County Register reports that the Lakers’ young players are not available for trade, but there is a chance that general manager Mitch Kupchak could move them before the deadline if there was a potential blockbuster deal.

“Unless some significant move comes to the Lakers’ doorstep, you’d think any young piece wouldn’t be on the move come Thursday,” Woike noted. “Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle, D’Angelo Russell and Larry Nance Jr. shouldn’t be considered 'untouchable,' but the Lakers likely won’t be breaking up their young core.”

The Lakers are doomed to miss the playoff for the second time in a row, which makes sense for the Purple and Gold to only strike a deal if it involves a marquee acquisition. But the Lakers have plenty of movable pieces in their core of veterans, although they are unlikely to net any sort of blockbuster transaction.

According to SB Nation’s Harrison Faigen, the most likely Laker to get traded is Lou Williams, who could boost any contender with his prolific scoring. Williams is averaging 15.4 points per game on 57.2 true-shooting percentage, according to Faigen. His production could help the Lakers get a quality player in return, or a flurry of draft picks and expiring contracts LA could use for rebuilding.

But Lakers Nation writer Trevor Lane believes that trading Brandon Bass instead of Williams or other trade candidates is the right move for the Lakers. However, Bass' value is too low to get a decent return, so packaging him with Williams or Roy Hibbert would probably be the ideal scenario the Lakers should consider.

“It’s also clear that Bass, who is unlikely to pick up his option for next year, probably won’t remain in Los Angeles,” Lane wrote. “Thanks to the the rising salary cap, he can surely make more on a new deal and with the Lakers firmly in rebuild mode, Bass will almost certainly search for a contending team to spend the remainder of his prime with.”

Nick Young is also projected to be joining a new team before the trade deadline ends. According to Mark Medina of the LA Daily News, Young, like Hibbert, wants to play for a contending team where he can really contribute instead of just watching from the sidelines.

It may be a challenge for the Lakers to stand still and let the trading season pass by, but it is the most logical decision to make if they wish to keep their core of young talents intact.