With the 2022 NBA trade deadline gone and the Los Angeles Lakers choosing to stand pat, all eyes in L.A. have turned to the buyout market.
Though it’ll be a fluid market with many candidates still to be determined, the Lakers reportedly will be interested in a reunion with someone from last season’s roster.
After the Boston Celtics and Houston Rockets completed a trade that sent Dennis Schroder to Texas, there’s a possibility Houston may buy out his contract. He’s on an expiring deal and doesn’t fit the Rockets’ rebuilding timeline at 28 years old. Houston needs to prioritize guard minutes for 2021 No. 2 overall pick Jalen Green, Kevin Porter Jr. and Josh Christopher.
If Schroder is bought out, the Lakers will be interested, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic:
The Lakers explored the possibility of trading for Schröder at the trade deadline, as The Athletic’s Bill Oram reported. While there remains some division internally among the Lakers’ decision-makers regarding Schröder after his uncomfortable departure last summer, there is interest in bringing him back as a backup point guard, according to league sources.
L.A. wouldn’t have to part with any assets to acquire Schroder for the remainder of the season. The Lakers will likely be linked to other buyout candidates as more possible names emerge.
