The Los Angeles Lakers hold one of the more valuable trade chips on the market as we inch close to the NBA trade deadline and it appears that chip is in high demand.
With the Washington Wizards already reportedly having shown interest in guard Lou Williams, it appears the Utah Jazz can be added to that list, per ESPN staff writer Ian Begley.
Some members of the Utah Jazz front office have expressed interest recently in Lakers guard Lou Williams, ESPN sources say. Many around the league believe Williams is likely to be dealt before Thursday’s trade deadline. Some teams who have talked to the Lakers about Williams believe Los Angeles is seeking a first-round pick in any Williams swap.
The most likely return the Lakers can manage for Williams is draft picks. Unlike the Wizards, however, the Jazz have roughly $13 million in cap space, more than enough to absorb the contract of Williams. The Jazz do have 15 players on the roster, but the cap space makes it possible to send any player back without needing to match salaries.
Adding to the intrigue is the bevy of picks the Jazz have at their disposal. Along with their own first round pick this year, the Jazz have Golden State’s first round pick as well as part of a salary cap dump trade in 2013.
The Jazz also have Oklahoma City’s first round pick in 2018 as part of the Enes Kanter trade as well as a host of additional second round draft picks from the likes of Washington and San Antonio along with their own.
The Jazz are currently the fifth-seed in the Western Conference, just 0.5 games back of the Clippers for home court advantage in the first round. However, they are also just three games ahead of seventh-seed Oklahoma City in a tight race for the four seed.
