Lakers News: Thomas Bryant Reportedly Requested A Trade from LA

Now-ex-Los Angeles Lakers center Thomas Bryant had reportedly requested a trade to ship him out of town, reports Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. Bryant had played

Now-ex-Los Angeles Lakers center Thomas Bryant had reportedly requested a trade to ship him out of town, reports Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. Bryant had played admirably when starting center Anthony Davis got sidelined for five-and-a-half weeks. So admirably, in fact, that Shelburne indicates he had outperformed his veteran's minimum contract to the point that it was no longer a sure thing he would accept LA's mid-level exception in a deal this summer. 

After Davis returned on January 24th against the LA Clippers, Bryant was relegated to a more minimal role in the Lakers' offense. Bryant quickly grew frustrated about being constricted to a more limited gig, both in terms his touches and minutes.

Shelburne notes that the team's deal for Bryant, which netted three second-rounders for LA, helps Los Angeles add back some of the future draft equity it surrendered in its previous deals for Rui Hachimura (three second-rounders) and its new veteran trio of D'Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, and Jarred Vanderbilt (a top four-protected lottery pick in 2027 and yet another future second-rounder).

Now, Bryant instantly becomes the primary reserve for reigning two-time league MVP Nikola Jokic, replacing another ex-Laker, DeAndre Jordan. It's pretty remarkable that Denver opted to sign DJ to a deal last summer, despite the fact that he was practically run out of town on two different teams in 2021-22. Jokic plays more minutes than Davis if that was really an issue for him, but Bryant could conceivably play at power forward alongside Jokic thanks to his ability to spread the floor and roll to the rim.