On January 31, Beijing time, the Lakers were tragically reversed by the Eagles on the road. From this game, it can be seen that the Lakers have serious problems with both the outside and inside defenses. Westbrook's defense, in particular, was inattentive on the court, and the Hawks players were given a lot of free throws on the court. The Lakers only have the possibility of making the playoffs if they send Westbrook away. To this end, the US media gave a transaction plan: the Lakers traded Wei Shao to introduce 3 thunder fighters, and Wei Shao returned to Russia city to grow old.
The US media broke the news of the Lakers Thunder's 3-for-3 trading plan, the Lakers sent Westbrook, 1 first-round draft pick and 1 second-round draft pick, from the Thunder trade to Get Favors, Williams and Muscara. The US media analyzed the deal from the perspective of two teams:
For the Thunder, with the team rebuilding, a few veterans don't mean much to the team. If you get some draft picks through trades, it will help the team to rebuild. Westbrook's deal wasn't worth much, but he meant a lot to the Thunder. Westbrook spent most of his career with the Thunder, where he achieved many accolades in the City of Russia. After coming to the Thunder, although Wei Shao did not have a chance to win the championship, he was at least respected by the local fans. Although Wei Shao's contract is larger, his contract will expire after next season, when the Thunder can clear the salary space, and Wei Shao can also renew a reasonable contract with the Thunder.
For the Lakers, Westbrook is not suitable for the team, and his defensive focus is the lowest on the team. Although Westbrook can use speed and passing to help the team, his passes are easy to miss, and the defense is easy to leak, which brings a lot of damage to the team.
Williams is a forward-back swingman, 2.01 meters tall, this season's three-point shooting rate of 38%, can open up offensive space for James and Davis. In addition, Williams' defensive efficiency ranks 8th in the league, which can effectively improve the Lakers' defensive level.
Favors and Muscara are two interior players, but their roles are different, Muscara is good at outside projection, and Favors is a qualified inside rotation player, both of them can help the Lakers.