Pacers rumors: Jeremy Lamb to be traded during season, Lakers interested

Per sources, the Indiana Pacers‘ front office are contemplating a potential in-season trade involving Jeremy Lamb. On October 20, 2021, their season opener begins at the Spectrum Center against the Charlotte Hornets. The team’s backcourt currently consists of Caris LeVert, Malcolm Brogdon and T.J. McConnell.

In the 2021 NBA Draft, the Pacers also selected Oregon shooting guard Chris Duarte 13th overall. So, in other words, the team is all set with who they have right now. Furthermore, on July 7, 2019, as an unrestricted free agent, he signed a three-year, $31.5 million contract with the organization.

In the 2020-21 NBA season, the 29-year-old shooting guard averaged 10.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 36 games played. Plus, he had a field goal percentage of 43.5 percent and shot 40.6 percent from behind the arc.

Last season, Lamb missed 38 games due to left knee soreness. On February 23, 2021, in the team’s 127-81 loss to the Toronto Raptors, the guard sustained a torn left anterior cruciate ligament, a lateral femoral condylar fracture and a torn lateral meniscus. He was forced to miss the remainder of the season.

Jeremy Lamb likely will begin the 2021-22 season with the #Pacers, but he’ll be elsewhere before it ends, league sources familiar with the situation tell IndyStar. https://t.co/O5KqwScONI

— IndyStarSports (@IndyStarSports) August 23, 2021

A couple teams want to see this from Jeremy Lamb before possibly dealing for him. 2 of 3-4 teams interested are the Lakers and Hornets 👇🏽https://t.co/rRLK1t3bXG

— J. Michael (@ThisIsJMichael) August 23, 2021

Lakers and Hornets are interested in a trade

There are four teams interested in trading for Lamb. Among these teams are the Los Angeles Lakers and Charlotte Hornets. The six-foot-five guard played for the Hornets from 2015 to 2019. He had a career-high season average of 15.3 points per game in Charlotte’s 2018-19 season. On November 21, 2018, in the Hornets’ 127-109 victory over the Pacers, he scored 21 points and finished his performance with a career-high five three-pointers.

While the guard averaged 12.5 points in the Pacers’ 2019-20 season and 10.1 points in their 2020-21 season, he has dealt with quite a few injuries. The organization’s asking price for the guard is unknown at the moment. When Lamb is healthy, he will be a valuable asset to any contender’s backcourt. The nine-year veteran was selected 12th overall by the Houston Rockets in the 2012 NBA Draft.

A day later, he was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder, along with Kevin Martin, a 2013 first-round draft pick, a 2013 second-round draft pick and a 2014 first-round draft pick. If he does get traded during the regular season, he will be moved to his fourth team of his playing career.