Have the Lakers gotten antsy after losses and injuries, or is a trade really in order? The New York Post’s Peter Vecsey speculated Sunday that the Lakers could trade center Andrew Bynum for Toronto Raptors’ All-Star forward Chris Bosh.
The Lakers are 5-2 in their last seven games but have lost three straight on the road. Kobe Bryant has an injured finger, and Pau Gasol has been out with a hamstring injury.
Despite the misfortune, trading away Bynum would be a rash gamble. The 22-year-old center played a strong game Sunday against the Milwaukee Bucks without Gasol — posting 17 points, 18 rebounds (career high) and three blocks to help L.A. to a 95-77 win.
At this point, the prospect of this huge trade looks unlikely. Raptors team president Bryan Colangelo denied he was looking to trade Bosh, and Bynum isn’t sweating the rumor.
"Nah, what rumor is that?" Bynum said to The Los Angeles Times when asked of the Post report.
If a deal got done before the Feb. 18 trade deadline, team integration might not be seamless because of different offensive dynamics. While the Lakers revolve around Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, Bosh plays an integral role in the Raptors’ offense.
Bynum is guaranteed $29 million over the next two seasons, and the Lakers hold a $16 million team option for 2012-13. Bosh becomes a free agent this summer. If the Lakers acquired him, they could possibly re-sign the power forward for more than what they will pay Bynum to finish out his contract. But with a $91.3 million payroll and $21.4 million luxury tax, the Lakers might think twice about a Bosh-Bynum exchange.
