The challenge for the Lakers, however, will be acquiring Claxton at the right price. The Nets signed him to a four-year, $97 million deal in the offseason, and while he hasn’t been at his peak level this season, his contract is descending, making him a potentially valuable long-term asset.

As the NBA trade deadline rapidly approaches, several marquee franchises are at the center of intense trade speculation. While the

A round of new NBA rumors don’t give much hope that the Los Angeles Lakers will make major impact trades before the Feb. 6 trade deadline. Heading into their game on Monday against the Charlotte Hornets,

SportsLine's model has simulated the Charlotte Hornets vs. Los Angeles Lakers matchup 10,000 times and revealed its NBA picks for Monday

The Hornets have also had some trouble defending inside the arc, where they allow opponents to shoot the ninth-highest 2-point percentage in the league (55.4%) and are prone to putting opponents on the line — allowing the 10th-most free throws per game (17.7).