NBA Rumors: Lakers trade deadline priorities, why Bucks fired Griffin, Suns untouchable

NBA Rumors: Lakers focused on Dejounte Murray, Bruce Brown at trade deadline

The Los Angeles Lakers have been connected to several players ahead of the Feb. 8 NBA trade deadline, but according to Shams Charania on FanDuel TV, two potential targets are garnering special attention.

"The Lakers, I'm told, are continuing to monitor two players. I think the two guys at the forefront of their targets list going into the trade deadline, Dejounte Murray of Atlanta, and Bruce Brown Jr. of Toronto."

Atlanta Hawks point guard Dejounte Murray and Toronto Raptors forward Bruce Brown Jr. are at the top of Los Angeles' priorities list.

The Lakers' attempts to land Murray are ongoing. A recent stall in talks won't preclude the two teams from meeting at the negotiating table again before the deadline. The last reported offer from Los Angeles involved D'Angelo Russell, a 2029 first-round pick, and a pick swap. Atlanta balked, largely due to its inability to find a third team for Russell.

As for Brown, he was a top Lakers target in free agency before the Pacers wooed him with a two-year, $45 million offer the Lakers simply couldn't match. Brown was integral to the Denver Nuggets' conference finals win over Los Angeles, so the Lakers are intimately familiar with his game. A nifty do-it-all wing, Brown's ability to connect dots as a passer, screener, and shooter would meaningfully boost the Lakers' rotation.

There's a good chance this is an either-or proposition for the Lakers, as Brown will command at least a first-round pick in addition to the requisite salary filler. The Lakers have several movable contracts, but a desire to keep Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura hamstrings the front office a bit. If the Hawks can find a more lucrative offer for Murray, however, we should expect the Lakers to turn their full attention toward Toronto and Brown.