The Los Angeles Lakers are off to a solid start and with Kobe Bryant back in the lineup, changes could be in store for the franchise, as the team has inquired with the Knicks about Iman Shumpert and this comes as trade rumors have started to churn about Pau Gasol after comments he made about Mike D'Antoni and the team could be interested in Tyson Chandler as well.
Shumpert has already been mentioned in trade rumors multiple times this season, including in a possible deal with the Nuggets for Kenneth Faried. According to ESPN.com, the Lakers have looked into Shumpert because their entire backcourt is injured and banged up, as Steve Nash and Jordan Farmar are out of the lineup and now Steve Blake has also suffered an injury that could keep him out for over a month. ESPN reports that a trade is not close right now, but discussions could start between the two sides as the trade deadline gets closer, as both teams are looking to improve heading into the early part of next year.
The Knicks are just 7-16 on the season after tying their franchise record worst start and with a ton of money invested in the team and the chance that Carmelo Anthony could leave after the season, James Dolan may try to shake things up before it gets too late. The halfway mark of the season is not too far off and it's getting late very early for the Knicks and one saving grace is the fact that they play in the eastern conference, where the majority of teams are under .500 and they also play in the worst division in the NBA alongside the Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors and Brooklyn Nets. The Knicks have been looking to trade Shumpert, but they don't want to just give him away and the team also has had discussions with the Raptors about Kyle Lowry, who could also be a fit for the Lakers and the Nets. The Lowry deal could have included Shumpert and there is a chance that deal could go down in the future with the Knicks.
Shumpert isn't an ideal point guard, but the Lakers are thin at the position with Blake and Nash out and having Gasol come over in a deal could be a big deal. There is a chance that the Lakers could ask for Chandler to replace Gasol after comments he made about the team and the Knicks likely would love to get the Chandler money off the books. Gasol will be a free agent and that could make things work and there is a chance that the Knicks also could deal JR Smith in a trade with Chandler according to the report and the team could consider all of these options if they keep losing.
