Insider: Lakers have ‘registered interest’ in two Nets veterans

Fresh off a thrilling 115-113 win over the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day, the Los Angeles Lakers have a 17-13 record and are in sixth place in the Western Conference. While that may seem like a somewhat disappointing record, they are just two games behind the fourth-place Dallas Mavericks, a team they haven’t played yet this season.

They have won five of their last seven games after losing eight out of their previous 11. In those seven games, they rank third in the NBA in defensive rating, but they’re at 24th in offensive rating, and they obviously need a reinforcement or two in order to get to the next level.

The Brooklyn Nets are 12-18 and likely won’t make the playoffs, and they’re expected to be sellers leading up to the trade deadline. They already sent guard Dennis Schroder to the Golden State Warriors, and it is believed that forwards Dorian Finney-Smith and Cameron Johnson could be had for the right price.

According to NBA reporter Evan Sidery, L.A. has “registered interest” in both forwards and that the team could match salaries in a potential trade by giving up guards D’Angelo Russell and Jalen Hood-Schifino and forward Rui Hachimura.

Finney-Smith and Johnson are two-way forwards who are both excellent 3-point shooters. Position-wise, Finney-Smith seems more comfortable playing the 3 while Johnson has spent the majority of his time at the 4, so both could address the Lakers’ need for viable wing and frontcourt depth.

However, they need an upgrade at the point guard position, especially if they give up Russell, since starter Austin Reaves is not a natural point guard. Therefore, a separate trade would likely be needed to acquire such an upgrade, and it is unknown if they would still have enough trade capital to pull one off.

In that regard, perhaps the Lakers would be better served by simply getting Finney-Smith and keeping the rest of their trade capital for a point guard upgrade, as well as a defensive-minded center. Hachimura has done well whenever he has been utilized offensively, and Jarred Vanderbilt and Christian Wood, both of whom can play the 4 spot, haven’t appeared in a single game yet this season after having offseason procedures.

This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Insider: Lakers have ‘registered interest’ in two Nets veterans