Does LeBron James’ admission mean Lakers should trade for Evan Fournier?
The Los Angeles Lakers are picking up where they left off last season, which certainly isn’t how LeBron James wants to spend his 20th season in the league. After two games, Los Angeles sits at 0-2 on the season, and one of the Lakers’ most glaring issues is their lack of shooting.
After LA’s 123-109 opening night loss to Golden State, LeBron was brutally honest about the Lakers’ lack of shooting. The team shot 10-of-40 from behind the arc against the Warriors, and they followed that up by shooting 9-of-45 from deep in Thursday night’s loss to the Clippers.
Meanwhile, many Knicks fans believe that Evan Fournier should be traded this season. It’d open up minutes (and a starting spot) for younger players like Quentin Grimes and Cam Reddish. Fournier’s a liability on defense, and he’s a great three-point shooter, but he isn’t always consistent. Still, if the Lakers are looking for a shooter (and they should be), Rob Pelinka could be interested in Fournier.
Should the Lakers consider a trade for Knicks’ 3-point shooter Evan Fournier?
Based on what LeBron said postgame on Tuesday, LA could consider a possible Fournier trade. James said:
"“We’re getting great looks, but it could also be teams giving us great looks,” James said. “To be completely honest, we’re not a team constructed of great shooting… It’s not like we’re sitting here with a lot of lasers on our team.”"
The Lakers might be reluctant about adding another veteran to their roster, but there’s no doubt that Fournier would help with their shooting woes. Just last year, he broke New York’s single-season record for three-pointers made.
LeBron signed a two-year, $97.1 million extension during the offseason, so LA should be in win-now mode. Fournier wouldn’t make the Lakers a contender, but he’s someone that can knock down shots. This may come as a surprise, but if the Lakers want to make it to the playoffs after missing the play-in tournament last season, they’re going to need shooters.
It’d be difficult to create a trade that would go through, though. A deal consisting of Fournier, Derrick Rose, and Cam Reddish in exchange for Russell Westbrook and a first-round pick (or two) would work, but the Knicks shouldn’t be willing to move on from Reddish yet, especially after his performance on opening night. Then there’s the whole debacle about what New York would do with Westbrook.
A trade certainly wouldn’t be easy, but Los Angeles needs to make a move to add shooting to the roster, and quick. LeBron James is still playing at a high level, but he isn’t getting any younger. Fournier might be on Pelinka’s radar, and if he is, New York’s front office needs to at least give a trade some consideration.
