Four Western Conference rivals are all monitoring the trade status of Portland Trail Blazers big man Robert Williams III.

Due to those notions though, the Lakers scouting department understandably had their eyes elsewhere. One name the Lakers reportedly coveted was Bub Carrington before he was selected at No. 14 by the Portland Trail Blazers then traded to the Washington Wizards, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN:

Grading a mock trade proposal that has the Portland Trail Blazers moving Jerami Grant to a rival in the Western Conference.

While he finished the game, Brooklyn ruled him out for Wednesday's Los Angeles Clippers matchup. With Cam Thomas, Ben Simmons and D'Angelo Russell also sidelined, the Nets' offense reached historic lows during a 126-67 defeat, the worst in franchise history.

The Lakers could have a very strong defensive presence on the wings with Max Christie and Dorian Finney-Smith.

The Clippers have their own home and are forging a new identity, but can Intuit Dome handle two teams showing up in their vehicles? It was a problem before.

Get the latest Lakers vs. Clippers predictions ahead of Sunday's all-L.A. clash. Free NBA Picks and predictions for January 19.

DALLAS — Watch the Dallas Mavericks vs. Portland Trail Blazers on WFAA/KFAA at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 9. Here's a breakdown on how to tune in – and guarantee you get the clearest signal possible of the broadcast.

Tyler Herro #14 of the Miami Heat dribbles the ball against Anfernee Simons #1 of the Portland Trail Blazers during the third quarter at the Moda Center on October 26, 2022 in Portland, Oregon. The Miami Heat won 119-98. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images) Getty Images

Nikola Jokic delivered his fourth straight triple-double on Tuesday, a league-leading 19th of the season, to propel the Denver Nuggets to a 144-109