After building the super big three as desired, the Lakers have experienced another failed season, and compared with last season, the loss of this season is very complete, and even the playoff place has not been obtained.
This plunged the Lakers into huge lineup revamp rumors, with coach Vogel being cut at the first time of the season and the Big Three being sent away.
In the face of such a chaotic situation, Lakers general manager Pelinka stepped forward and made it clear that the team will continue to build a team around James, which makes Wei Shao a player that the Lakers must deal with.
Due to the very large contract amount of Wei Shao and the difficulty of individual playing style to meet the needs of the championship-winning strong team, Wei Shao's potential next home is not much.
Fortunately, Westbrook's big $47 million contract is about to expire, which gives the possibility of a partial rebuilding of the early days of the team to take him over.
Among them, marc Stein revealed that the Rockets, Hornets and Knicks are the current circles and think it is possible to take over several teams in Westbrook.
The attitude of the Rockets is also very clear, if they want the team to take over Westbrook, then it is to build a transaction plan around Wall's big contract.
For the Lakers, Wall is just another gamble with a high probability of losing, because Wall also lacks projection ability, and the problem of personal error is no better than That.
What's more, Wall's injury problems are much worse than Westbrook's, so he won't seek a deal with the Rockets unless the team really can't find a buyer.
In this case, the US media "nbaanalysis" listed two very ideal transactions for the Lakers, of which 2 for 2 to join hands with three goals, 1 for 2 to New York, the Lakers got their wish.
Trading Scenario 1
The Lakers get: Hayward + Rozier;
The Hornets got: Westbrook + 2027 first-round pick.
The Hornets were indeed exposed to the possibility of pursuing Westbrook, because team owner Jordan has always admired Westbrook, and the introduction of Westbrook also meets the two major requirements of the team's economy and record.
As a small-ball team, the Hornets have not been a superstar for a long time, and although Wei Shao's ability has not reached the superstar level, his personal topicality and influence are completely in the top ten levels of the league, which will ensure the Hornets' attendance.
In addition, Westbrook is a player who can help the Hornets compete for the playoffs, can play the role of sixth man, and the big contract is about to expire, making room for the Hornets.
However, the plan given by the US media is too ideal, and Rozier has performed well this season, averaging 19+4+4 per game, no obvious shortcomings, and the overall contract is not large.
Therefore, for both teams, this plan is too good for the Lakers, and replacing Rozier with Oubre, or Plumlee is a more reasonable trade option.
Even so, it is a plan worth betting on for the Lakers, because Hayward has a stable projection, and another role player can provide the immediate combat power that the Lakers need, rather than adding chaos like Westbrook.
Transaction Scenario 2
The Lakers get: Randall + Fournier;
Knicks get: Westbrook.
The Knicks do want to deal with Randall and Fournier, Randall has also been exposed to want to follow Harden's example and force the palace to leave, and local Fans in New York have constantly conveyed their dissatisfaction with Randall through boos.
Westbrook is naturally a good choice, like the Hornets, the Knicks are also a team on the edge of the playoffs, there is no demand for the championship in the short term, and the advantages of Westbrook's joining outweigh the disadvantages, which helps the team to improve the box office and pursue the playoffs.
And Westbrook's expired contract can accelerate the Knicks' rebuilding process, but if the Lakers want to complete the transaction, they obviously need to add another first-round pick before the Knicks can agree.