After the Lakers ushered in James' comeback, the voice of trading Westbrook is getting quieter and smaller, on the one hand, there is not much time to make a big trade, on the other hand, Westbrook's attendance is still considerable, at most it is only arranged on the bench at a critical time. But if the Lakers don't reinforce role players before the trade deadline, this season may be really out of the game, and even if the winning rate reaches 50% again, the playoff qualification is in jeopardy.
However, there are many rumors about the Lakers' trade, and some media have revealed that the Lakers are still willing to come up with the best quality trading chips for player exchange, including the rising stars Tucker Jr. and Nunn, and it is expected that Howard, who has basically been abandoned. The deal is for the Celtics, who have a great lineup but a poor record, and the Lakers hope to exchange three players for a quality 3D player Josh Richardson. Initially, this is a good deal for mutual benefit, and the key depends on the pace of Pelinka's advancement.
Josh Richardson may not be very good in terms of statistics, but he can still average double-doubles, reaching 10 points and shooting 42% from three-point range, which is a very good performance. At the same time, his defensive ability is far better than his offensive ability, which is exactly the defensive tough guy that the Lakers need most. What makes the Lakers more excited is that Josh Richardson's contract value is $11.62 million, which is completely acceptable range, neither too space-consuming, and if it is not used well, it will not affect the processing, basically it is a step-by-step option.
Whether the Celtics are willing to accept the Lakers' three players is the key to the deal, but the Celtics have always wanted to reduce the luxury tax. This time, by sending Josh Richardson away, he can get back three contracts that can be handled separately, which is more conducive to subsequent players. Of course, the Lakers have freed up player places, and it is not excluded that some players will be bought out and introduced. In fact, both sides have got good role players, Tucker may have a better performance after leaving the Lakers, and Nunn's comeback is more trustworthy.
The Lakers who do not trade have no prospects, if you can get Josh Richardson, the lineup structure is more reasonable, Vogel can send the big three Plus Johnson, Josh Richardson's strong team, I believe That Josh Richardson will also contribute to the second lineup. The performance of role players is actually the key to whether the Lakers can achieve their goals this season, and it may be true that as the thick eyebrows say, the Lakers will be another Lakers team in the playoffs. Can James fight back and win the championship this time? Can the Big Three take off in the playoffs? The key is to see whether the reinforcements are fruitful.