Lakers linked to controversial player in trade market

Jun 6, 2022; El Segundo, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka speaks before introducing head coach Darvin Ham at UCLA Health Training Center Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

In past years, the Lakers have rostered everybody from Dennis Rodman and Ron Artest to (more recently) Rajon Rondo and Lance Stephenson. Now the team could be making another addition to that list.

Sean Deveney of Heavy.com spoke this week with an anonymous Western Conference executive, who said that the Lakers could potentially trade for new Utah Jazz swingman Malik Beasley.

“Malik Beasley is the guy [the Lakers] should be looking at if they can get him from Utah,” the executive was quoted as saying. “They asked about him when he was in Minnesota. Now they can try to get him in a situation where Utah does not want him. The Jazz want picks, so the Lakers would have to give up one of their picks. But he is in their range.”

Beasley, 25, was just acquired by the Jazz this offseason as part of the Rudy Gobert blockbuster with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He is a high-scoring role player who has averaged 14.5 points per game on 38.4 percent three-point shooting over the last two seasons (mostly off the bench). Beasley is owed $15.5 million next year (with a $16.5 million club option in 2023-24).

The risk with Beasley though is that he is a fairly controversial player. He was suspended for 12 games two seasons ago for an offseason arrest (which Beasley would later serve time in jail for). Beasley as a Laker might also be extremely awkward since Beasley previously was romantically linked with this mother of a current Lakers player.