As the season deepens, the Lakers have more and more problems, and the biggest problem with the team is Westbrook. Wei Shao's shooting is not good, and the team can only play a small lineup to speed up, so as to play the biggest advantage of Wei Shao. However, when encountering such a dynamic team as the Grizzlies, the Lakers have no advantage at all, and the Lakers' old arms and legs can't run the young people at all. In addition, the Lakers' five small lineup wins in the shooting percentage is high, and once the team's shooting percentage drops, the team cannot play the advantage of the small lineup. In short, sending Westbrook away is the most suitable option for the Lakers.
Previously, the US media had exposed the Lakers' 4-for-2 trading plan, and the Lakers sent Westbrook, Tucker Jr., Nunn and a first-round draft pick to get Harris and Simmons from the Philadelphia trade. At present, according to the US media, the transaction plan has accelerated the pace, and Philadelphia hopes to send Simmons away at the same time, package and send Harris away, because Harris is a premium contract. The US media analyzed the deal from the perspective of two teams:
For the Lakers, the deal managed to send Westbrook away, bringing in Two Giants of Philadelphia, Simmons and Harris. Compared to Westbrook, Simmons and Harris are more suitable for the Lakers. Although Simmons shoots averagely, he is strong defensively, and he is tall and can defend multiple positions on the court. When James holds the ball, Simmons can play without the ball. Simmons can also organise with the ball and share the pressure for James. Harris has shooting ability, athleticism is also good, he is suitable for the Lakers' five small lineup. Through this deal, the Lakers have increased the height of the lineup, and the team's rebounding and defense have improved.
For Philadelphia, Simmons has been reluctant to play for the team, while Harris is on a $180 million premium contract. Philadelphia wants to send both stars away at the same time so that the team can clear up the salary space in the future and continue to strengthen. However, with the exception of the Lakers, it is difficult for other teams to be willing to take over Harris' contract. Take the Eagles, for example, although this team also wants to trade Simmons, they do not want to take over Harris's contract, the Eagles already have a number of big contracts, if they take over Harris's contract, the future will not be easy to deal with. The Lakers took over Harris's contract, which is a helpless move, and only through this transaction can the Lakers retain the hope of competing for the championship.