CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – JANUARY 28 (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
After one hectic regular season, the Los Angeles Lakers will now shift their focus to the offseason.
The purple and gold have a laundry list of things to address regarding their roster moving forward, with the most prominent being the future of Russell Westbrook. The former NBA MVP winner has a player option worth an astounding $47 million for the 2022-23 season, which he will inevitably accept when he is allowed to do so. However, that does not change the fact that it would be quite shocking to see Westbrook playing for the Lakers when opening night rolls around next season.
After being traded to LA last offseason, Westbrook never managed to carve out a role for himself as he struggled to fit in throughout the year. All signs point to the Lakers looking to get the guard off the books through trade in the offseason because of his questionable fit with the franchise, but given that $47 million contract and Westbrook’s hit or miss play this year, it initially seemed realistic to believe that there would not be any takers. However, according to recent reports, that may not be the case as there is at least one franchise that is potentially interested.
The Charlotte Hornets could engage in a trade with the Los Angeles Lakers for Russell Westbrook this offseason
As reported by veteran NBA insider Marc Stein (subscription required), the Charlotte Hornets could emerge as a Westbrook trade suitor this offseason. Immediately, many will make their case that Charlotte should just stay away from Westbrook entirely, which is entirely feasible for a handful of reasons. Yet, it appears that the up-and-coming Hornets will at least kick the tires on trading for the former MVP in a move that would certainly dominate headlines. With that said, let us look closer at two hypothetical trades that would send Westbrook from Los Angeles to Charlotte.
Los Angeles</a> Lakers will now shift their focus to the offseason.</p>
<p>The purple and gold have a laundry list of things to address regarding their roster moving forward, with the most prominent being the future of Russell Westbrook. The former NBA MVP winner has a player option worth an astounding $47 million for the 2022-23 season, which he will inevitably accept when he is allowed to do so. However, that does not change the fact that it would be quite shocking to see Westbrook playing for the Lakers when opening night rolls around next season.</p>
<p>After being traded to LA last offseason, Westbrook never managed to carve out a role for himself as he struggled to fit in throughout the year. All signs point to the Lakers looking to get the guard off the books through trade in the offseason because of his questionable fit with the franchise, but given that $47 million contract and Westbrook’s hit or miss play this year, it initially seemed realistic to believe that there would not be any takers. However, according to recent reports, that may not be the case as there is at least one franchise that is potentially interested.</p>
<h2>The Charlotte Hornets could engage in a trade with the Los Angeles Lakers for Russell Westbrook this offseason</h2>
<p>As reported by veteran NBA insider Marc Stein (subscription required), the Charlotte Hornets could <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/04/20/2-russell-westbrook-trades-los-angeles-lakers-charlotte-hornets/"https://marcstein.substack.com/p/trading-russell-westbrook?s=r%22 target="_blank" rel="noopener">emerge as a Westbrook trade suitor this offseason</a>. Immediately, many will make their case that Charlotte should just stay away from Westbrook entirely, <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/04/20/2-russell-westbrook-trades-los-angeles-lakers-charlotte-hornets/"https://hoopshabit.com/2022/04/10/charlotte-hornets-russell-westbrook-2/">which is entirely feasible for a handful of reasons.</a> Yet, it appears that the up-and-coming Hornets will at least kick the tires on trading for the former MVP in a move that would certainly dominate headlines. With that said, let us look closer at two hypothetical trades that would send Westbrook from Los Angeles to Charlotte.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/04/20/2-russell-westbrook-trades-los-angeles-lakers-charlotte-hornets/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 1 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-443837 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/04/20/2-russell-westbrook-trades-los-angeles-lakers-charlotte-hornets/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2134,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1367690584.jpeg" alt="Los Angeles Lakers: Russell Westbrook, Charlotte Hornets: LaMelo Ball" width="3200" height="2134" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1367690584.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1367690584-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – JANUARY 28 (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Trade No. 1 between the Los Angeles Lakers and Charlotte Hornets</h2>
<p><strong>Los Angeles Lakers receive: Terry Rozier, Kelly Oubre Jr., Mason Plumlee</strong></p>
<p><strong>Charlotte Hornets receive: Russell Westbrook, first-round pick, two second-round picks</strong></p>
<p>Given that the Hornets will not be trading ascending star LaMelo Ball under any circumstances in a Westbrook trade, Terry Rozier is likely the player the Lakers would ask about. In this deal, LA would acquire Rozier along with two other quality rotational pieces in Kelly Oubre Jr. and Mason Plumlee in exchange for Westbrook, a future first-round pick, and two second-round selections.</p>
<p><strong>LA’s Perspective: </strong>Los Angeles needs a point guard that fits with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and Rozier fits the billing, largely due to his scoring and shooting. The guard buried the 12th-most 3-pointers in the association this season with 222 total, having shown off his range. Westbrook’s inability to shoot the long ball was among the most prominent reasons that he never managed to fit in with the Lakers, and Rozier would immediately fit much better. They would have to take on more long-term money as Rozier has an upcoming four-year extension, but that may not be a big issue, given how ideal his fit with the team would be.</p>
<p>While Rozier would be the centerpiece, Oubre and Plumlee would be far more than just throw-ins for this particular deal. Oubre has carved out a role for himself in the NBA as a solid 3-and-D wing, which is a significant need for the Lakers as they look to retool this roster. Oubre would shore up the Lakers’ defense while also bringing more shooting into the mix. Plumlee would be a viable backup center to acquire as he also brings some solid interior defense and rebounding to the table. Though they would have to part ways with some of their lone picks for the foreseeable future, it may be worth it to get this many quality pieces in return.</p>
<p><strong>CHA’s Perspective: </strong>For Charlotte, losing Rozier may hurt, but the chance to keep their long-term flexibility open and add three picks could be too desirable to resist. With these picks, the Hornets could potentially look to make a seismic splash on the trade market, whether that be for a player like Myles Turner, Rudy Gobert, or any other potential trade target that could be available during the offseason. As for Westbrook, keeping him on the roster might not be the best idea, given the perplexing fit in the backcourt that would arise with Ball in this scenario. A buyout is a likely option here, and although that would be a massive chunk of change for Charlotte to eat, the draft capital would make that far easier to digest.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/04/20/2-russell-westbrook-trades-los-angeles-lakers-charlotte-hornets/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 2 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-444249 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/04/20/2-russell-westbrook-trades-los-angeles-lakers-charlotte-hornets/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2254,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1367688919.jpeg" alt="Los Angeles Lakers: Russell Westbrook, Charlotte Hornets: Terry Rozier" width="3200" height="2254" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1367688919.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1367688919-768x541.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – JANUARY 28 (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Trade No. 2 between the Los Angeles Lakers and Charlotte Hornets</h2>
<p><strong>Los Angeles Lakers receive: Gordon Hayward, Terry Rozier</strong></p>
<p><strong>Charlotte Hornets receive: Russell Westbrook, Talen Horton-Tucker, first-round pick</strong></p>
<p>Due to the hefty amount of money being thrown around in any Westbrook trade, one player that may be involved in a deal with the Hornets is Gordon Hayward. In this deal, the Lakers would still acquire their new point guard in Rozier, but they would also take on Hayward in exchange for Westbrook, Talen Horton-Tucker, and a first-round pick.</p>
<p><strong>LA’s Perspective: </strong>Everything previously mentioned about Rozier holds true here. The guard would be an ideal fit alongside LA’s two other stars. The addition of Hayward here is interesting, as it was recently reported by Marc Stein (subscription required) that the Lakers would likely <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/04/20/2-russell-westbrook-trades-los-angeles-lakers-charlotte-hornets/"https://marcstein.substack.com/p/westbrook-watch?s=r%22 target="_blank" rel="noopener">decline a trade package from Charlotte</a> centered around the forward. That is a feasible stance, but if Hayward is the secondary piece attached to Rozier, perhaps that could make it more reasonable. Though the 32-year-old has had some injury issues over the years, he would be a solid fit alongside the trio of James, Davis, and Rozier when he is healthy. It would be a gamble for LA, but they could be willing to take the chance to bulk up their roster with some household names this offseason.</p>
<p>Rather than sending out Westbrook and multiple picks in this trade, the Lakers would send out the former MVP, their 2027 first-rounder, and Talen Horton-Tucker. While Horton-Tucker put up decent numbers in Los Angeles this season, trading him for a pair of established veterans like this would be a justifiable move for the purple and gold. Adding Rozier and Hayward could be just what the Lakers need to begin their roster retooling this offseason, and this is a feasible package.</p>
<p><strong>CHA’s Perspective:</strong> Moving Hayward and his hefty salary off the books should be among the top priorities for Charlotte this offseason. The forward will have approximately $61 million left on his deal over the next two seasons, which is quite the price to pay for a forward that has been in and out of the lineup with injuries. On top of all that, Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer reported that the former <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/04/20/2-russell-westbrook-trades-los-angeles-lakers-charlotte-hornets/"https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10032521-who-will-lead-lamelo-ball-and-promising-hornets-into-their-prime" target="_blank" rel="noopener">All-Star may welcome a change of scenery</a> this offseason. While a trade for Westbrook is far from the most desirable move, he does only have one year left on his current contract, while Hayward has two, which would create flexibility. Also, adding Horton-Tucker could be intriguing, given that he has shown signs of untapped potential during his first three seasons in the NBA. At 21-years-old, he could be a solid piece to add to this young core, and his salary is affordable.</p>
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