GettyImages-1053615772
Trevor Ariza of the Phoenix Suns remains clueless on his next stop, the same situation of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope of the LA Lakers. Pictured: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers handles the ball agianst Trevor Ariza #3 of the Phoenix Suns during the second half of the NBA game at Talking Stick Resort Arena on October 24, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Lakers defeated the Suns 131-113. Getty Images/Christian Petersen

Two NBA names expected to be moved in the coming days are Trevor Ariza and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. And one team that is in the middle of it all is the Los Angeles Lakers.

Ariza is no stranger to Los Angeles, having played for the Lakers from 2007 to 2009. He has since become a journeyman, able to get things done on both ends of the court. After a great year with the Houston Rockets, it seems the 33-year-old failed to hit it well with the Suns – a team where he signed a one-year deal worth $15 million.

With the Suns failing to hit their stride, they are now dangling the veteran via trade to interesting NBA teams. The Houston Rockets have been mentioned although the squad that seems to make sense right now is the Lakers. Being one of the players who signed a free agent contract, Ariza is eligible to be traded by Dec. 15.

For the Lakers, one player who could be dealt off is Caldwell-Pope. The 25-year-old hasn’t exactly been up to par and has been performing inconsistently. He was signed to a one-year contract in July, the Lakers hoping he would help and please James. But as it turns out, it hasn’t resulted to what they had hoped.

Hence, the Lakers are now trying to pull some strings to part with KCP and hopefully bring back Ariza to the fold. The Suns and the Lakers have reportedly engaged in talks for a possible three-team trade. Caldwell-Pope is more likely to end up with that conduit third team, with Phoenix hoping to get a playmaking guard and a future draft asset, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

As of this writing, nothing has been set on stone. All that could change in the coming days, particularly before the Dec. 15 trade deadline.

With regards to Caldwell-Pope, another team where he could fit in is the Philadelphia 76ers. According to the Los Angeles Times, Philly could be a good stop for the disgruntled guard – a place where he could rediscover his confidence and playing minutes.

The Sixers do need someone who can hit it from outside consistently. KCP has been struggling with his shots, meaning it is something he needs to work on. Compared to the Lakers situation right now, Caldwell-Pope may have better chances reviving his career with a team filled with younger stars.

RELATED STORIES
NBA