Insider considers Lakers 'favorites' to land Dejounte Murray before trade deadline

The Athletic's Jovan Buha believes the Los Angeles Lakers are the favorites to land Dejounte Murray before the trade deadline. His comments came while speaking on a recent episode of "The HoopsHype Podcast."

"From my understanding, Dejounte Murray is their priority right now," Buha said. "To me, he’d be the most likely trade outcome right now if I was handicapping the odds. I think they’re the favorites to land him. Again, the big hurdle right now is finding that third team."

Buha noted that the Lakers would likely need a third team to make a deal work. The Atlanta Hawks are reportedly not interested in receiving D'Angelo Russell as part of the trade. Yet, it makes no sense for the Lakers to acquire Murray while Russell is still on the roster. That is where the current hurdle lies. 

Still, Murray would likely be a great fit for the Lakers. He's a reliable defender. Can operate on and off the ball. Can probe defenses off the dribble. And can shoot off the catch. Putting him in a rotation with Anthony Davis and LeBron James could help him thrive as a tertiary offensive option and a primary point-of-attack defender.

This time last season, the Lakers believed they had landed their guard of the future. However, Russell's second spell in Los Angeles hasn't gone to plan. If Rob Pelinka can find a willing team to help facilitate the deal, Russell could find himself in a new situation and begin rebuilding his value around the league. The Hawks would move on from their failed experiment. The Lakers would have a new guard as they try to elevate their starting unit. Everybody wins. 

Nevertheless, the Feb. 8 trade deadline is drawing closer. Three-team trades are difficult to make work. Everyone needs to feel like they're getting fair value. Pelinka has a tall task on his hands. After the flurry of activity we saw from his team last season, though, you can never count the Lakers out.