The Lakers regretted it not long after signing Wei Shao, and wanted to send him away in the middle of the season, but because the contract was too big, no team could accept a contract as big as Wei Shao. But in the offseason, Westbrook's big contract is still 47.06 million, he will most likely execute the player option, and some teams that want to clean up space will consider trading with the Lakers, including the Hornets.
The US media FW even suggested that the Lakers make up for the loss of the sheep and make a 2-for-2 deal with the Hornets: the Lakers sent the first round of signings and reorganized the big three to compete for the championship
The potential scenario is: the Lakers send Westbrook and the 2027 first-round pick to get Hayward and Oubre of the Hornets
The Lakers' failure this season, in addition to the injury of the thick eyebrows, the incompatibility between James and Westbrook is also one of the reasons, both are great all-round players, but both need to hold the ball to play a role. The Lakers will undoubtedly have James as the first core, so that The role of Westbrook will be weakened, and he almost played the second worst season of his career.
Recalling that the Lakers won the championship in 2020, the real point guard is James, who not only scored strongly, but also achieved a lot in assisting teammates, and got the assist king of the season, and the Lakers' offense was launched by James, so it should be found that season's mode. Hayward and Oubre will enrich the Lakers' front.
Hayward has played 49 games this season, averaging 15.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game, and has a strong ability to hold the ball, and can also be a scoring point when he can serve as an offensive starting point. Oubre is incredibly talented, averaging 15 points, 4 rebounds and 1 steal per game, and he is strong on both the scoring and defensive ends. Both have defensive abilities above the league average, which is also the forward player that the Lakers need. This plan includes the first round picks for 2027, and the Lakers need to think carefully because they have already overdrawn too many draft picks in the future.
Thick eyebrows + James + Hayward + Oubre + Tucker / Munch, such a starting lineup still looks very competitive. After all, Hayward was an All-Star player, but in the Hornets too much talent to lead to data shrinkage, in the Lakers have more ball rights, can get more than 20 + 5 + 5 data.
For the Hornets, there are several potential rookies who need to renew their contracts for the next 1-2 years. Hayward's contract has 2 years and 6,000 points left, and using him to exchange for Westbrook will help the team free up space in the summer of 2023 and reduce the pressure on salary. Of course, the Hornets are likely to sign Westbrook because the Hornets really need a superstar to change the team's culture. In the Short History of the Hornets, even All-Stars were rarely produced. Their games are rarely broadcast live in the United States, and it's tough to make the playoffs.
In the Hornets, Westbrook didn't have as much pressure as the Lakers, and he was likely to return to the Thunder Rockets or Wizards, the kind of all-rounder who averaged three-doubles per game, and then helped the Hornets achieve their goal of entering the playoffs. Wei Shao was also a superstar at his peak, and he could bring many fans to the Hornets to watch the ball on the spot, and the ticket price alone could be returned. Westbrook can also serve as a mentor for young players like Ball and Bridges, bringing a different culture to the team. And the Lakers' 2027 first-round pick is likely to be extremely high, which will help the Hornets in the future.
So overall, it's a win-win deal, with the Lakers trying to hold on to the final winning window, while the Hornets plan for a better future.