The Los Angeles Lakers started the season with four straight losses, creating speculation that the struggling team will make moves to improve their roster anytime soon.
Jabari Davis of Basketball Insiders said in a recent chat session that the Lakers might consider trading Jordan Hill and Steve Nash before the 2014-15 NBA season trade deadline.
Hill signed a two-year deal worth $18 million during the offseason. While most analysts and fans were surprised when the deal was struck, several teams view Hill as a good frontcourt option, especially for teams who are contending for the title this year.
"Hill's contract is both team-friendly and sizeable enough to be in play by the time February's NBA trade deadline has arrived," Davis wrote.
Hill, who is averaging 14.8 points to go along with 7.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks this season, is not expected to be dealt in the next several weeks as the team is still reeling from the leg injury that ended rookie Julius Randle's season, but the Lakers' stance could change by the end of the year.
"The Lakers may not be as eager to move a frontcourt piece now that Julius Randle is lost for the season," Davis added. "But check back with this team after the New Year and see where things stand at this point."
Once the Lakers put Hill on trading block, Davis is convinced that several teams will make a strong push to acquire him, including division rivals - Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, Los Angeles Clippers and Phoenix Suns.
"For a team in contention or attempting to distance themselves from the pack, Hill's size and post presence could be exactly what a team may come asking for. Even within the division, several teams are likely to come searching for frontcourt depth," Davis wrote.
Aside from Hill, the Lakers are also expected to shop Steve Nash before the deadline in February.
Nash is out for the rest of the season due to a back injury, but teams are expected to be interested in acquiring him because of his expiring deal, especially teams who are looking to create cap space for the 2015 free agency period.
"[Nash] is out for the season due to continued injury complications, but that doesn't mean his expiring deal isn't appealing to teams with assets the Lakers may covet that are looking to get themselves under the cap for next year's free agency crop," Davis noted.
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