After two consecutive seasons of failure, the Lakers are destined to usher in a major lineup adjustment in the offseason, and Westbrook is recognized as a bargaining chip to be traded.
However, considering Wei Shao's big contract, it is more difficult for the Lakers to exchange him for valuable chips, so there are US media boldly supporting the Lakers and can try to send away the thick eyebrow brother.
The reason is also very simple, since winning the championship, the competitive state and morale of the thick eyebrow brother have declined seriously, the three-point shooting rate has dropped to an exaggerated 18%, and only 76 games have been played in two seasons.
To this end, Greg Patuto of the US media "NBA Analysis Network" recruited the Lakers to complete a 1-for-5 transaction plan with the Raptors, and the two teams are expected to achieve what they need.
Potential trading scenarios
The Lakers got: Gary Trent Jr. + Anunoby + Achuva + 2024 first round + 2026 first round;
Raptors get: Thick eyebrow brother.
For the Lakers, this is a deal that is completely worth the team's attempt, after all, the team's performance in the past two seasons has been too bad.
Even if the lineup continues to be built around James and the thick eyebrows, it is difficult for the team to complete the qualitative change, because Wei Shao's big contract is very difficult to deal with, and it is likely that it can only be exchanged for another pile of garbage contracts.
As James enters his fourth year with the Lakers, the Purple and Gold Team management needs to plan for the future, and this plan takes into account two aspects.
On the one hand, the team got three instant players, Gary Trent Jr., Anunoby and Achuva, all of whom had completed self-certification in the playoffs.
Anunoby was once regarded by the Raptors as a core player to cultivate, and the addition of the three will greatly increase the lower limit of the Lakers and reduce the uncertainty of the Lakers.
At the same time, the Lakers also got two first-round picks, which means that the Lakers can not use their own first-round picks in 2027 and 2029, but package these two first-round picks to trade Wei Shao.
With two chips like first-round picks + Horton Tucker + Westbrook, the Lakers can complete a deal with a team like the Pacers or the Hornets.
If Portland fails to build a roster, then the team still has the opportunity to pursue other stars such as Lillard, all in all, sending away the thick eyebrow brother provides the Lakers with great operational flexibility.
More importantly, reducing the uncertainty of the team allows the team to have a stable rotation lineup, rather than battling injuries every season and forcing the aging James to keep carrying the team forward.
On the other hand, the deal plan leaves a way back for the Lakers, at least hoping to keep their first-round picks in 2027 and first-round picks in 2029.
If you continue to bet on Brother Thick Brow and James, then after James leaves, the team actually does not have enough chips to build a lineup around Thick Brow Brother.
And the team has a high probability of taking at least one first round in the offseason to send Wei Shao away, which means that if James leaves after the expiration of his contract, the Lakers will face the consequences of a bamboo basket and an empty water, just like the heat and Cavaliers in the past.
For the Raptors, this deal plan looks very unreliable, after all, the thick eyebrow brother is plagued by injuries, and this plan obviously still regards the thick eyebrow brother as a top superstar.
But the problem is that the thick eyebrow brother is only 29 years old, although he has suffered from injuries, but they are some small problems of bad luck, the Raptors and the Lakers are not the same, they do not have James, a top superstar who also has injury problems.
From the playoff showdown, it is not difficult to see that whether there are top players often determines how far a team can go, the Raptors are experts in this regard, leonard, who used to bet on the same injury, let the team win the first championship in team history, facing the same opportunity, the team has no reason to refuse.