NBA trade rumors: Lakers not expected to pursue Butler, Ingram, LaVine ‘strongly’ | News, results, highlights, stats and rumours

If the Los Angeles Lakers decide to make a move before the trade deadline, it likely won’t be for one of the marked players who could be available.

Per Athletic’s Jovan Buhathe Lakers are not expected to “heavily” pursue players like Jimmy Butler, Brandon Ingram or Zach LaVine as they explore ways to upgrade their roster.

Buha mentioned players like Jonas Valančiūnas, Cam Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith as more realistic trade targets for the Lakers. Some of this is because their contracts are more team-friendly than someone like Butler or LaVine.

Butler has become the biggest star who seems most likely to be on the move before the Feb. 6 deadline. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Dec. 10 that the Miami Heat would entertain trading the six-time All-Star for the right offer.

It’s unclear at this point what would constitute the right deal for the Heat. In a separate report on 11 Dec. Charania noted Butler’s preferred list of trade destinations includes the Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets.

A potential complicating factor in a Butler trade is that the Heat have started to play better of late. They have won four straight games to improve their record to 13-10, fifth best in the Eastern Conference.

Traded from the Lakers to the New Orleans Pelicans in the Anthony Davis trade, Ingram feels like a more practical trade option given his contract status and the state of the Pelicans. He serves 36 million dollars this season in the final year of his four-year, $158.2 million contract.

The Pelicans have been decimated by injuries so far this season. Their 5-22 record is second-worst in the NBA, ahead of only the Washington Wizards (3-21). Any move they make would almost certainly be designed to reduce the payroll for the rest of this season, as they currently are 2.1 million dollars over the luxury tax.

Since the franchise entered the NBA in the 2002-03 season, the Pelicans have never paid the luxury tax.

The Lakers seem almost certain to do something as they try to find ways to improve their roster. Their minus-3.5 net rating is 22nd in the NBA, with offense (15th) and defense (22nd) ranking in the bottom half of the league.

LeBron James returned to the lineup Sunday after missing two games. He finished with 18 points, eight assists and eight rebounds in 34 minutes to help the Lakers to a 116-110 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.

Despite that win over one of the best teams in the Western Conference, the Lakers are still 10th in the conference with a 14-12 record.