NBA Trade Deadline: Lakers acquire point guard Tyler Ennis from Houston Rockets

The Los Angeles Lakers (19-39) acquired sophomore point guard Tyler Ennis from the Houston Rockets (40-18) during the closing minutes of Thursday's NBA trade deadline. The Rockets is expected to waive Brazilian guard Marcelo Huertas, who was offloaded by LA to make the trade work.

The trade was a win-win for both teams. While the Rockets created an additional US$3.5 million (AU$4.5 million) in cap space, the Lakers traded away an aging point guard for a 22-year-old in his third season. With Los Angeles trading Lou Williams, too, the likes of Ennis, D'Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson will play out the bulk of the backcourt minutes for the rest of the season.

Ennis, drafted by Phoenix Suns in 2014, will be joining his fourth team in three seasons, after being bounced around from Phoenix to Milwaukee Bucks to Houston Rockets before becoming a Laker on Thursday. After the Bucks traded Ennis to Houston last September, the young floor general wasn't afforded an opportunity to make an impact while joining a backcourt comprising of James Harden, Patrick Beverley and Eric Gordon.

NBA Trade Deadline: Rockets clear cap room for free agent

As the Dream Shake speculates, the Rockets will likely pursue Andrew Bogut or other free agents in the buyout market. Bogut, traded by the Dallas Mavericks to the Philadelphia 76ers Thursday, is expected to reach a buyout agreement which would allow him to negotiate with playoff teams as a free agent. "The move (by Houston) appears to be part of a still developing strategy to make an offer to a veteran free agent who gets bought out of his current contract. The hottest name being bandied about on Twitter is centre Andrew Bogut, who was dealt from Dallas to Philadelphia in the closing hours of the trade deadline for Nerlens Noel."

For the Lakers, Ennis, a free agent at the end of the season, is a project for the final 24 games of the season. "Giving Ennis 20-22 minutes per game to show what he can do over the final 24 games of the season provides coach Luke Walton and new general manager Rob Pelinka an opportunity to at least see what they have in Ennis, who will be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end after the fourth-year option on his rookie deal was declined last October by the Rockets," Hoops Habit wrote of the trade.

The Lakers will return to action after the week-long All-Star break during Friday's road game in Oklahoma City. Tyler Ennis is expected to join the team ahead of Sunday's home game against the San Antonio Spurs.