Good for Yang Hansen! Another Trail Blazers center targeted by the Lakers Holiday may also be sent to Luocheng

On July 21, according to NBA reporter Grant Afseth, several sources pointed out that Ju Holiday is gradually becoming a highly-watched name, especially in the Los Angeles Lakers' transfer goals. Holiday's name is frequently discussed in the league as the Lakers consider introducing more support for the team's core players LeBron James and Luka Doncic. In addition, after the Lakers won DeAndre Ayton, another center from the Portland Trail Blazers, Robert Williams, also attracted their interest, which is undoubtedly good news for Yang Hansen, who is struggling to win playing time. If Roway is indeed traded, Henson will have more valuable game opportunities.

Highly 35-year-old Holiday played 62 games last season, averaging 11.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. His contract will pay $32.4 million in the 2025-26 season and will continue to the 2027-28 season, with a $37.2 million player option in the final year. Although Holiday is still regarded as a top-notch defensive expert and excellent offensive organizer, his trading market value has become complicated and subtle due to his age and years-long salary terms.

Another notable factor is his health. Sources revealed that Holiday's deal with the Trail Blazers was already close to being concluded, but was delayed due to problems found during the physical examination. The initial deal was reportedly included sending two second-round picks to the Boston Celtics, but the Celtics failed to receive any draft compensation in the end. Most of the teams are aware of the health risks on his knees when they evaluate Holiday's trading potential.

Recently, with Damian Lillard signing a three-year contract worth $42 million and returning to the Trail Blazers, if the team chooses to trade Holiday, they still have experienced veterans as their backing. However, for Holiday, as a veteran defender who has entered the late stages of his career, he doesn’t quite fit with the Trail Blazers’ reconstruction schedule.

If the Lakers decide to take action, they are considered to have an advantage in pursuing Holiday's trade. Relying on the expiring contracts of Hachimura, Vincent and Kleber, the Lakers can use more than $40.7 million in salary space to trade without dismantling the core lineup. Although the Lakers recently introduced Smart to strengthen their perimeter defense, they may still need to increase their offensive firepower.

Before Doncic was eligible to sign a contract extension in August, the Lakers had shown their determination to introduce ideal players for him and successfully won Ayton and Smart. According to sources, both players were recruited by Doncic to enhance the team's strength.

Before losing to the Celtics whom Holiday played for in the 2024 NBA Finals, Holiday was already a player that Doncic valued very much. His complementary skills are highly consistent with the Lakers' goal of building teams around core players. "To me, Zhu (Haledy) is one of the top defenders, even the best," Doncic commented in 2022. "I don't think he really has the credit he deserves when it comes to defense, so it's extremely difficult to play against him on the court... I'm very surprised that he has never received such an honor as the best defender."

Among the NBA observers, there is another voice that the Lakers may consider expanding the trade scope with a focus on bringing Robert Williams into it. According to reports, the 27-year-old player has one year left in his contract and an annual salary of $13.3 million, which has attracted the attention of the Lakers earlier. Rowe can provide the Lakers with a more stable interior defense behind Ayton, and at the same time, it can also allow Hayes to better adapt to the third center position.

Recently, a Trail Blazers reporter said that according to the current lineup, Yang Hansen may only be able to start the game from the third center, while Klingen will serve as the starting center, and Rowe will be the main substitute. Therefore, if Loway is traded, Yang Hansen's playing time is expected to increase significantly, providing him with more opportunities to show himself.