The Los Angeles Lakers are a team that clearly needs to make a trade if they are to be a competitive team right now. LeBron James is still playing at a high level, while Anthony Davis has been dominant when healthy. The time to go all-in on the star duo is now.
- The Los Angeles Lakers Get Two Veterans Without Moving Any Picks
- The Charlotte Hornets Get A Veteran Leader And Clear Salary
- This Trade Could Help Both Teams Achieve Their Goals
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With that being said, the Los Angeles Lakers have shown reluctance to trade their first-round picks thus far, in any trade that doesn’t make them immediate contenders. Thus, a realistic Los Angeles Lakers trade would likely have to involve no draft picks at all.
A scenario that could be intriguing for the Los Angeles Lakers features them potentially making a deal with the Charlotte Hornets. The deal would feature them moving Russell Westbrook in exchange for veterans Kelly Oubre Jr. and Gordon Hayward.
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Gordon Hayward, Kelly Oubre Jr.
Charlotte Hornets Receive: Russell Westbrook
Obviously, this trade scenario could potentially have benefits for both teams involved. It remains to be seen if the two teams will ever agree to a deal with a similar framework, but here is why both teams should consider making this trade.
The Los Angeles Lakers Get Two Veterans Without Moving Any Picks
The key for the Los Angeles Lakers in this scenario is the fact that they don’t have to mortgage their future, while also getting better as a team. Gordon Hayward and Kelly Oubre Jr. would give them much-needed wing rotation players and would help them improve on both ends of the floor.
Gordon Hayward is obviously a player that fits perfectly next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis due to his offensive skill set. He knows how to play a role next to ball-dominant players, and has a reputation as a 3PT shooter with some playmaking ability. He profiles as a good complementary piece, that could occasionally win them games and make timely buckets. As of right now, Gordon Hayward is averaging 13.7 PPG, 4.7 RPG, and 3.9 APG.
Kelly Oubre Jr. would likely be the No. 3 option behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis in this scenario, and the two-way wing is averaging career highs in PPG (20.2) and SPG (1.6). He would help them on both ends of the floor, and his perimeter defense will likely endear him to coach Darvin Ham quickly. Though he may be out with a hand injury for a few weeks, he could definitely contribute down the stretch as a scorer coming off the bench or starting at the SG position.
This trade for the Los Angeles Lakers is simple: they would be moving a poor-fitting player in Russell Westbrook to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for two veterans that can play their roles next to the team’s superstars. Since the Lakers wouldn’t need to move any first-round picks in this scenario, this should be a low-risk, high-reward trade for the team. They would also have those picks to use in future trades, and since Gordon Hayward will be on an expiring contract next season, they could use his contract and the two picks to get another difference-making player then.
The Charlotte Hornets Get A Veteran Leader And Clear Salary
For the Charlotte Hornets, this trade is about multiple things. They would move veterans Gordon Hayward and Kelly Oubre Jr. to truly embrace the tank and bottom out in an attempt to get Victor Wembanyama or Scoot Henderson. Adding another true franchise cornerstone next to LaMelo Ball is imperative for the Charlotte Hornets, and we could easily see them move multiple veterans at the trade deadline.
Russell Westbrook is obviously on an expiring contract, and generally, players on large expiring contracts have value for teams that are attempting to clear salary. Gordon Hayward is on a two-year contract as of right now and will make $31,500,000 during the 2023-24 season. Moving for Russell Westbrook this season will allow the Hornets to avoid paying that extra year of Gordon Hayward’s contract, which could be a good proposition for a rebuilding team.
From a basketball standpoint, Russell Westbrook would likely get bought out by the team so they can avoid him taking minutes away from their young players. However, if the team decided to keep Russell Westbrook, he could be a great source of veteran leadership on the court. Westbrook is a universally respected player by his peers, as he has been the starting point guard on a Finals team and has won the MVP. Westbrook would be a good locker-room presence for players like LaMelo Ball and P. J. Washington, and the Hornets keeping Westbrook wouldn’t be the end of the world in this scenario.
This deal has a lot of benefits for the Charlotte Hornets, even if they do not get any first-round picks from the Los Angeles Lakers in the process. They would have a lot of financial benefits with this deal, and could end up doing better from a basketball perspective with Russell Westbrook on the roster as well.
This Trade Could Help Both Teams Achieve Their Goals
This trade would clearly help the Los Angeles Lakers be a more competitive team this year, even if they wouldn’t necessarily be contenders. Adding Kelly Oubre Jr. and Gordon Hayward to their roster would ensure that they are a playoff team, and they could easily make it through the play-in tournament with those two players present on the roster.
For the Charlotte Hornets, this trade would be done to bottom out as a squad and for financial reasons. This would be good for both the present and the future of the franchise, as tanking heightens their chance of getting another franchise player for their rebuild.
The Los Angeles Lakers notably have been linked with Kelly Oubre Jr. and Gordon Hayward in the past, and Gordon Hayward has seemingly been open to joining the franchise as well. It remains to be seen if the Los Angeles Lakers do engage in a deal with the Charlotte Hornets, but the pathway to make a deal is there.
