NBA Trade Rumors: Lakers Looking to Trade Roy Hibbert
The Los Angeles Lakers were seen to have nailed the jackpot when they acquired Indiana Pacers towering center Roy Hibbert in a trade for a second round pick. The defensive-minded center was what the doctor ordered for a team that needed someone who can intimidate opponents in scoring a bunch of high percentage points inside the paint.
Sadly though, the two-time All-Star couldn't seem to find the right fit in Byron Scott's system, even though everyone thought a new team and environment were all he needed to once again bring out the best in him. Now the same team that traded for him is reportedly eyeing to unload him.
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Hibbert is just 28 years old. The fact that there are only a handful of 7-footers in the league that are young and have a lot of potential is good enough reason for any team to have interest in him. But the way the Lakers are playing defense this season, it's not looking good for Hibbert. As a matter of fact, the team owns the worst defensive stats in the league, and the center is one of the many players to blame for that. After a couple of good games to start the season, he's now nowhere to be found contribution wise. He is currently averaging 5.1 points and the same number of rebounds. But what's really alarming is that he is shooting close to 39 percent, which by the way is miserable.
But if the Lakers, headed by general manager Mitch Kupchak and head coach Byron Scott, are seriously pursuing a trade, the good news is that Hibbert may well be an intriguing addition to title contenders, or those teams that have the best chances of reaching the NBA Finals. For one, it wouldn't hurt a team to add a center who knows how to score and play defense.
In the end, Hibbert is just a player who is looking for another chance to put himself into a position where he can dominate. The Lakers right now are stuck with Kobe Bryant's expected retirement after this season. They seem contented on losing, which is something that Hibbert isn't used to during his time in Indiana.
