Deadline Deal: Boozer to L.A.?

With the trade deadline rapidly approaching, the Lakers’ name hasn’t been thrown around much at all in the rumor mill.

Until now.

Over the weekend, a credible rumor began to circulate around the possibility of a three-for-one trade between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Utah Jazz. In this trade, the Lakers would receive power forward Carlos Boozer in exchange for Caron Butler, Devean George and Vlade Divac.

The Lakers get a frontcourt force in Carlos Boozer if this deal goes down. The big man out of Duke has been averaging 17.8 ppg this year and has consistently improved his game. In addition, he does this on efficient shooting, ranking 10th in the NBA (52%). Boozer also is a solid rebounder, pulling down 9 boards per game for the Jazz.

The centerpiece of the deal from the Lakers side, Caron Butler, has been a reliable 3rd scoring option for the Lakers thus far, averaging 14.6 ppg. He possibly could help the Jazz fill their backcourt at shooting guard or play up at small forward, his natural position.

On the other hand, the other two Lakers rumored in the trade have not contributed much at all. Divac has rarely seen action this basketball year, mainly due to nagging back problems that have sidelined the veteran center. George, meanwhile, has not even been able to suit up once this season, unable to rehabilitate from ankle injuries and tendinitis.

This deal is still up in the air, only time will tell whether it will fall through or not, with or without modifications.

Your move, Kupchak.

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