According to BR reporter Jake Fischer, the Lakers had an internal discussion about the trade with Westbrook: "The Big Three have not met the Expectations of the Lakers, and there have been discussions within the team about the trade with Westbrook. Some Lakers fans commented: Wei Shao's run-in with the Lakers has gradually entered a better situation! Why trade him?
Jake Fischer said that Westbrook's contract has 2 years and $91 million left, which is a major obstacle for the Lakers to trade him: "Except for big contract players like Luck and Wall, the Lakers have almost no counterparts." Another name is Ben Simmons, and the Lakers are interested in Simmons, but Westbrook isn't on the list that the digital people want. ”
The Lakers are currently mired in trade rumors, and more than wei shao has been affected by players. According to journalist Jordan Schultz, there are currently as many as seven teams that have listed Lakers youngster Tucker as their trade target! However, many people, including James and Vogel, value Tucker very much!
As for whether to trade Tucker, the Lakers are very hesitant at the moment, and other teams need to pay a big price if they want to get Tucker! In the offseason, the Lakers released Players such as Kuzma, Harrell, Pop, Caruso and other players, and then completed the contract extension with Tucker, which shows that the team values him a lot.
The Lakers may have renewed Tucker's contract for two reasons, the first is because Tucker is really a good fit for the Lakers, and the team wants to train him to become an All-Star. Tucker is 1.93 meters tall, but has an arm span of 2.17 meters, and a pair of large hands, which is called "Little Leonard" by fans! The second is that the Lakers see the value of this young man, and the key moment can be used as a trading chip, and this moment is about to come.
In his first three games of the season, Tucker scored 17, 28 and 25 points, respectively. After a few good games, Tucker suddenly got lost, but recently he's been in shape again! In the last two games, he has averaged 15 points per game and shot 55 percent from the field. Tucker has scored in double figures in four consecutive games so far, which has undoubtedly increased the value of his trade.
In addition to being able to attack, Tucker's role on the defensive end cannot be ignored! In the previous game where the Lakers defeated the Magic, Tucker contributed 6 steals in a single game, setting a new NBA career high! According to statistics, the last time the Lakers had players deliver 6 steals in a single game, it was Caruso (January 26, 2020).
This year marks Tucker's third year in the NBA, and he also played his career-best. Tucker just celebrated his 21st birthday last month, and so far this season he's played in 15 games for the Lakers, 12 of which are starters! He averaged 28.8 minutes per game and contributed 11.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.3 steals, shooting 40.6% from the field.
Of Tucker, Westbrook and Vogel said, "He's getting closer to the character we envisioned and he's starting to figure out how to play the game. As soon as the news of Tucker's robbery came out, Kuzma saw that it was not too big, and he wrote: "You have come to this set again." "According to the regulations, Tucker will not be traded until after January 16, 2022.
According to Shams, there are several more teams that have been potential targets for Ben Simmons' trade: Knicks, Lakers, Timberwolves, Trail Blazers, Kings, Pacers and Cavaliers! However, some fans are worried: if Simmons really wants to come to the Lakers, then Westbrook will have to change the team again! Simmons doesn't have three points, is he really a good fit for the Lakers?
There are also media recommendations for the Lakers, Blazers, pelicans tripartite deal: the Lakers get Lillard, send Westbrook, Tucker and the 2027 first-round picks; the Pelicans get Westbrook, Tucker, Little and 2027 first-round picks, sending Ingram, Graham, Satoransky and the 2023 first-round picks; the Blazers get Ingram, Graham, Satoransky and the 2023 first-round pick, sendIng Lillard.
In view of the three-party transaction plan given by the media above, do you think it is feasible? Also, is Simmons really better suited to the Lakers than Westbrook?