The Lakers still have work to do around Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, and the front office’s roster math is getting tight. With the team needing to get down to 15 players by November, one of several current names could end up on the move.
Lakers insider Jovan Buha said the club may have to clear room soon, pointing to three players who could be in danger.
“Clearly, the Lakers need to dump someone, and I think it's going to be one of three players," Lakers insider Jovan Buha said. "It's going to either be Dalton Knecht, Jaden Hardy, or Bronny James."
That doesn’t shut the door on another addition, though. Lake Show Life’s Chris Lambert floated Micah Peavy as a possible target if the Memphis Grizzlies decide to move on from him because of roster crunch.
“If Peavy ends up being someone the Grizzlies cut ties with because of roster overflow, the Lakers need to take a look. Getting him on a two-way deal this season would give them a developmental project who has already shown he’s an NBA-level defender and can become a real impact piece on offense,” Lambert wrote.
Peavy was recently sent to Memphis in a trade involving former first-round pick Jordan Hawkins. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported the full deal this way:
“The New Orleans Pelicans have traded Jordan Hawkins, Micah Peavy, a future second-round draft pick and a future second-round pick swap to the Memphis Grizzlies for AJ Johnson and Taj Gibson,” ESPN’s Shams Charania wrote.
Offensively, Peavy’s numbers don’t jump off the page. Defensively, though, he’s described as a relentless on-ball presence, and that’s exactly the kind of profile the Lakers could use if they want a player who can get on the floor and handle the toughest matchup. A two-way deal would give them a chance to see whether that defense can translate into something more.
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