Getty Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka
The Los Angeles Lakers have been urged to trade for a $96 million star point guard.
On October 31, Bleacher Report’s Erik Beaston wrote that the Lakers should trade Russell Westbrook to the Charlotte Hornets for Terry Rozier. Los Angeles is interested in acquiring Rozier, who is making $21,486,316 this season.
“Sending Westbrook, a second player, perhaps an underwhelming Kendrick Nunn, and a future first-round draft pick to Charlotte for Rozier would not only get the Lakers their man, but also provide the Hornets with some salary cap relief,” Beaston wrote. “The idea of clearing some money off the books may be more valuable to Charlotte than a second pick. Rozier entered the season on the heels of the two best of his career and is currently averaging 23.5 points per game, though has only suited up twice for Charlotte this season. A better player than Westbrook at this point, he would provide the Lakers with the change the team needs if it hopes to shake off the sub-par start to the season and go on a comeback run. A starting lineup that pairs him, James, Davis, Lonnie Walker Jr. and, potentially, Patrick Beverley or Dennis Schroeder, is more appealing for Los Angeles if for no other reason than the energy the 28-year-old will bring to the table.
“Does he have the playoff experience that Westbrook does? No. Is he as consistently prolific as the former Most Valuable Player has been at times in his career? Also no, but it is abundantly clear that the Lakers have to find a way to offload Westbrook and bring in a star to replace him, hopefully revitalizing its roster and providing an offensive ignition that one of the worst-scoring teams in the league desperately needs.”
According to a September 16 report from Sam Amick and Jovan Buha of The Athletic, the Lakers discussed a four-team trade with the Utah Jazz, New York Knicks and Hornets before the Jazz traded All-Star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Los Angeles would have acquired Rozier from Charlotte and Bojan Bogdanovic from Utah.
The Jazz wound up trading Bogdanovic to the Detroit Pistons. The Lakers, who are 1-5 on the season, can still acquire Rozier.
Proposed Trade Lands Lakers Rozier & Gordon Hayward for Westbrook
In an October 21 piece called “1 Trade Every NBA Team Should Already Be Plotting,” Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz proposed that the Lakers trade Westbrook, Max Christie and a 2027 first-round pick to the Hornets for Rozier and All-Star small forward Gordon Hayward. That deal is eligible to be made under CBA rules.
“Given the amount of elite-looking talent at the top of the 2023 draft class, doing a one-year reset would be the best long-term option for Charlotte, with the chance to pair LaMelo Ball with Victor Wembanyama or Scoot Henderson for the next decade. This means taking a step back this season, using Westbrook’s expiring deal to dump the contracts of Hayward and Rozier while picking up a future unprotected first-rounder and getting a prospect like Christie to develop,” Swartz wrote. “The Lakers get a pair of shooters and playmakers to plug in next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis while still keeping their 2029 first-round pick to use in a future trade.”
The Lakers could start Rozier, Patrick Beverley, Hayward, LeBron James and Anthony Davis if they traded Westbrook to the Hornets for Rozier and Hayward. Rozier shot 37.4% from beyond the arc last season and made 222 3-pointers, while Hayward hit 86 3s in 49 games while shooting 39.1%.
Los Angeles needs more shooters around James and Davis. The purple and gold are shooting only 26.6% from beyond the arc as a team this season, the worst percentage in the NBA. Opposing defenses sag off Westbrook and dare him to shoot. That creates fewer driving lanes for James and Davis. Since Rozier and Hayward can drill shots from deep, teams can’t leave them open and crowd James and Davis, therefore creating more space on the floor for the Lakers stars.
Lakers Can’t Wait Until Thanksgiving to Trade Westbrook
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported on October 19 that the Lakers are unlikely to make a major trade before Thanksgiving. Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale wrote on October 21 that Los Angeles can’t wait that long to trade Westbrook, who is shooting 20.0% on 3-pointers this season.
“Um, yeah, no. The Lakers cannot afford to wait 20 games. Seven of their next 18 come against probable tankers, but they could very easily lose the other 11,” Favale wrote. “And starting off 6-13 in this year’s hellfire of a Western Conference is akin to consigning yourself to the play-in race. That’s inexcusable, always, when you have LeBron. But especially when you have LeBron in his age-38 season. … Westbrook is quite literally one of the worst three-point shooters in league history. Among every player to hoist at least 2,000 career treys, only Charles Barkley converted his at a lower clip.”
Rozier is a career 37.6% shooter from beyond the arc, making him a better fit next to James and Davis than Westbrook is.