NBA Rumors: Lakers could trade Marcus Smart to Pacers for Roy Hibbert?

The Los Angeles Lakers aren’t likely to trade their No. 7 pick prior to the NBA Draft (despite their desire to do so) but that doesn’t mean they’re going to be content with keeping their pick after the selection.

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Looking to expedite a return to the postseason, the Los Angeles Lakers are said to be coveting a veteran which they could place alongside Kobe Bryant and given their cap room, attempt to re-build the team in a season or even two.

Given that, the Orlando Sentential’s Brian Schmitz believes the Lakers could draft Marcus Smart with their seventh pick but then immediately trade him to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Roy Hibbert.

The deal does make some sense for the Lakers given their lack of interior presence though it seems a little less likely for the Pacers, who despite a rough postseason, still likely see value in Hibbert. Then again, if the Pacers feel they are to lose Lance Stephenson in free agency and would prefer to have a smaller salary on the books by alleviating the potential Stephenson contract (or using him in a sign-and-trade) while also removing Hibbert’s hefty deal, it could make sense if only from a financial standpoint.

All in all, it’s a deal that does seem rather unlikely though there are benefits for each side. It would also hinge on the fact of Smart actually dropping to the seventh pick, which probably seemed like a strong possibility before Joel Embiid’s injury. However, given Embiid’s likely fall, it would be a bit shocking to see Smart last until the seventh pick.

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