Lakers sting Hornets as trade deadline nears
CHARLOTTE — The Lakers earned their third straight win on Monday in their 124–118 win over the Hornets, but concern over a potential trade remains above all else as the trade deadline approaches on Thursday at 3 p.m. EST.
L.A.’s road win moves their record two games over .500 (27–25) as they finished with a 4–2 record on a six-game road trip.
“Just that trust in ourselves. If adversity presents itself, we can fight through it. We won’t pack up our tent and go home. We’re in it for the fight,” head coach Darvin Ham said after the result from the road trip.
By the time the Lakers’ next matchup rolls around on Thursday at 7 p.m. against the Nuggets, the NBA trade deadline will already be past. This could be the last game for some, with the desperate need to make a roster change as elongating injuries to Jarred Vanderbilt, Cam Reddish and Gabe Vincent could affect their chances to compete in the West.
“I can’t control that my contract makes sense to be traded, so just play. I can’t control that,” D’Angelo Russell said about the trade rumors.
In what could be his last game in a Lakers uniform, Russell finished with a team-high 28 points on five made threes, along with six assists and four rebounds.
In just three and a half quarters, Anthony Davis earned his second double-double of the season, the third of his career, with 26 points, 15 rebounds, and 11 assists in 37 minutes of action.
LeBron James jolted the Lakers’ energy and momentum in the first half with two electrifying two-handed dunks, one coming from a baseline drive and the other being a slam on Hornets center Nick Richards after getting past P.J. Washington.
Despite finishing 0-for-5 from three, LeBron’s production came from inside the paint and as a facilitator, with 26 points and seven rebounds in his 39 minutes of action.
Understanding that the trade deadline is near, LeBron praised his teammates and mentioned how he doesn’t pay attention to the trade drama surrounding the Lakers.
“I love who we have in the locker room, and that’s all I worry about,” LeBron said as the trade deadline approaches. “I don’t get caught up in that. We’re gonna go out and prepare ourselves every single night, no matter who’s out there.”
There has been a roar of rumors that the Lakers are in the trade market for a three-and-D defender, with Vanderbilt out for a stretch. Those players include the Brooklyn Nets’ Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O’Neal.
Before tip-off, it was reported by the Lakers, after consultation with multiple specialists, that Vanderbilt has been diagnosed with a right mid-foot sprain — And he’s expected to be re-evaluated by team doctors in approximately three to four weeks.
This doesn’t mean he will return from that time out; just re-evaluate the foot sprain to determine his time frame, which is the best news for Vanderbilt after initial reports of him potentially missing the rest of the season.
