LA Lakers Trade Rumors: Cost For Roy Hibbert Revealed, Indiana Pacers Ecstatic
LA Lakers trade rumors reveal that a deal to get center Roy Hibbert from the Indiana Pacers is done. This Lakers trade answers the question of who will play center for the team during the 2015-16 NBA season. It also confirms that the Pacers were willing to give Hibbert away if the team could find another franchise willing to pay his hefty salary. A report from Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times claims that the Lakers only have to give up a future second-round draft pick. The exact year hasn’t been announced yet.
As previously reported by the Inquisitr, once the Lakers found out they had lost the sweepstakes for LaMarcus Aldridge, DeAndre Jordan, and Greg Monroe, the front office began scrambling. It was no secret that the Pacers were looking to clear salary by dealing Hibbert, and the two teams entered into negotiations rather quickly. Now that deal has been finalized, giving Kobe Bryant, De’Angelo Russell, and Julius Randle someone to hold down the low post for the Lakers.
Roy Hibbert has played his first seven NBA seasons with the Indiana Pacers, averaging 11.1 point, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks over 533 games. What these LA Lakers trade rumors net the team is a player that stays healthy and can be a great weapon on the offensive glass. When Hibbert was playing 28.7 minutes a night in the 2012-13 NBA season, he was averaging 3.7 offensive rebounds per game. That is something that could certainly help a team with a free range shooter like Kobe Bryant.
This is a big move for the Lakers, especially because the team had to give up so little to get Hibbert. He will make about $15.5 million during the 2015-16 NBA season, but the Lakers were able to absorb the contract due to how far under the salary cap the front office got the team. Hibbert becomes a free agent in the next NBA offseason, allowing the team to re-sign him if it works out, or to let him go if he doesn’t mesh well with the rest of the newly constructed roster.
There are still some roster spots to fill out in Los Angeles, so this probably won’t be the last of the LA Lakers trade rumors this offseason. As the July 9 signing date (for free agents) gets a bit closer, fans should expect the team to be linked in even more rumors that involve teams looking to shed salary.
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