LA Lakers Rumors: Lakers target Gary Trent Jr. could be acquired for protected first-round or two second-round picks

One of the players linked to the LA Lakers ahead of the Feb. 9 trade deadline is Gary Trent Jr. of the Toronto Hawks. The latest rumors suggest that the Raptors might have lowered their asking price for Trent, who could opt out of his contract at the end of the season.

Jake Fischer of Yahoo! Sports reported on a recent episode of the "Please Don't Aggregate This" podcast that the Lakers are interested in Trent. However, Fischer noted that it's still unclear if the Lakers are in contact with the Raptors to negotiate a potential deal.

According to Doug Smith of the Toronto Star, the Raptors are looking for a serviceable player and multiple picks in return in exchange for Trent. The 24-year-old guard has a player option for next season. The Raptors have a tough decision to make since Fred VanVleet, O.G. Anunoby and Pascal Siakam could all be looking for new deals.

However, it seems like the Toronto Raptors have lowered their asking price for Gary Trent Jr. Michael Grange of SportsNet reported that the Raptors are good with a player who could match Trent's salary, as well as a protected first-round pick or two second-round picks.

The LA Lakers are capable of offering either a protected first-rounder or two second-round picks. Patrick Beverley and Damion Jones perfectly match Trent's salary, but it could all come down to other teams looking to acquire the sharpshooting guard.

In addition to the Lakers, some of the teams linked to Trent are the Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat. He is averaging 18.7 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.7 steals per game this season, while shooting 44.4% from the field and 37.2% from beyond the arc.

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LA Lakers unlikely to acquire Bojan Bogdanovic from the Detroit Pistons

The LA Lakers are unlikely to acquire Bojan Bogdanovic

Bojan Bogdanovic of the Detroit Pistons is having the best season of his career. However, the Pistons are one of the worst teams in the league. Bogdanovic, who signed an extension in the offseason, is eligible to be traded and has been linked to the LA Lakers.

But it seems like the player is interested in staying in Detroit. Bogdanovic told Michael Scotto of HoopsHype that he's in contact with the Pistons front office regarding the team's future plans. He also addressed the rumors, which are not bothering him.

"Having conversations with the club, Troy (Weaver), and the owners, they assured me that we're going to be great next year," Bogdanovic said. "We have a lot of cap space to sign great players. We're going to have a high pick again, so that's going to help us a lot. ... I heard the rumors, but I’m trying to stay away from those conversations."

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