Lakers, Warriors battle to complete sign-and-trade for former Rookie of the Year

Billy Heyen

Lakers, Warriors battle to complete sign-and-trade for former Rookie of the Year image

The Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors are in win-now mode.

The two veteran-laden rosters are ready to compete for a championship, hoping to make one final run with LeBron James and Stephen Curry at the helm, respectively.

And right now, they're battling to complete a deal for the same player to try and help their cause.

The Lakers and Warriors are both seeking to complete a sign-and-trade with the Wizards for Malcolm Brogdon, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer. They aren't alone. Fischer reports that the Clippers, Suns, Pelicans, Timberwolves, Kings and Bucks could also get involved.

Brogdon has won both Rookie of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year in his NBA career.

The 2016 second-round pick will turn 33 years old in December.

In 24 games for the Wizards in 2024-25, he averaged 12.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game.

Disappointingly, his 3-point shooting dipped to 28.6% after two seasons above 40%, so that could be a key swing skill for how positive an acquisition of Brogdon winds up being.

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It's certainly something worth pursuing for both the Lakers and Warriors, as well as the other teams on that long list.

Brogdon is a good secondary ball handler and defender, and he can shore up any bench unit.

If one of the title contenders winds up with Brogdon, it could be an underrated move that goes a long way toward chasing a championship.

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Billy Heyen

Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who has written about many sports and fantasy sports for The Sporting News. Sports reporting work has also appeared in a number of newspapers, including the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle