The Lakers have taken a step towards joining the 2014 tank-off.
According to multiple reports and confirmed by CBSSports.com's Ken Berger, the Lakers are trading point guard Steve Blake to the Warriors in exchange for guards Kent Bazemore and MarShon Brooks.
The Warriors have been in desperate search for added bench help behind Stephen Curry, and Blake is a quietly terrific backup point guard. They added Jordan Crawford earlier in the season, but he's not quite a true point guard complement, while Blake is quality shooter and good showrunner.
The Lakers add two players who are both young, though not guaranteed to be part of their future. Brooks is on an expiring deal and Bazemore will be an unrestricted free agent unless he's tendered a $1.1 million qualifying offer, which seems unlikely.
And there's this: The Lakers will trim about $3.5 million off their luxury tax bill with this move.
Brooks was recently acquired by the Warriors in a trade with the Nets in January.
Blake, 33, is averaging 9.5 points and 7.6 assists in 27 games this season. Bazemore, 24, is averaging 2.3 points in 44 appearances and Brooks, 25, is averaging 2.6 points and 1.4 rebounds in seven games this season.
