The Lakers' early end of the season is also a good thing, because they simply do not have the strength to compete for the championship, and they barely make it to the end of the playoffs, which may also increase the probability of core injury. Now the Lakers have enough time to plan the future new season, the most important thing is to rebuild the lineup around James, Wei Shao is not compatible, and the thick eyebrows are easy to hurt. If they can trade back to more suitable players, the Lakers' competitiveness will still be very strong.
The US media FW listed the Lakers' 5 major trading options: thick eyebrows 1 for 3 or 1 for 5, Wei Shao single for Russell?
Option 1: Westbrook for Brogdon and Hield for Pacers
With Westbrook's current ability, it is actually impossible to replace these two players, but the Pacers are in the process of rebuilding, will build a lineup around Halliburton, and hope to get more talented players through the pendulum, so Westbrook's expired contract is something they can accept. Of course, the Lakers may also have to send one or two young players, or a future first-round pick.
Hield is the Lakers' super shooter who has been chasing, his three-point total hits have been at the forefront of the league for several seasons, and Brogdon is a high-quality ball carrier, with good passing ability, and at the same time, the score is also very strong, averaging close to 20+5+5 per game, which can share the pressure of James.
Option 2: Westbrook, Tucker, 2027 first round, trade Hornets' Hayward and Rozier
Jordan has said that he can accept Westbrook, in fact, the Hornets do need a superstar to bring up the city, they have played in the playoffs for 2 consecutive seasons can not qualify, it is time to rush. As long as Wei Shao is in the right system, his ability is still very strong.
Hayward and Rozier both have a certain shooting ability, they can adapt to playing next to James, and Hayward himself is also an organizational striker, when James is off the field, he can lead others to continue to deal with opponents.
Scenario 3: Westbrook for Russell
Russell was also a member of the Lakers, but because of some personal wrong behavior, he was eventually traded by the Lakers, in fact, the Lakers wanted to make him the core at that time. After a few years out there, Russell was also named an All-Star, but is not doing well with the Timberwolves now.
For the Lakers, switching back to Russell can increase the outside firepower, but also make the lineup younger, he is more suitable for the current Lakers than Westbrook.
Option 4: Corinth, Capela, Hunter for Eagles, 2022 first round, 2026 second round
It's no secret that the Hawks want to change their coins, they only have Yang, a superstar, who is easy to target in the playoffs, so they are eager to replace those quality role players with another superstar. Thick Brow has long proved himself in the playoffs, as long as he can guarantee his health, the Eagles have a bright future.
After the Lakers get 3 tough players, they can make the lineup young immediately, and the strength of the inside line will not weaken a lot. Of course, the most important thing is that Wei Shao is really difficult to trade, and the transaction value of thick eyebrows is greater. This plan is to prepare for the future retirement of James, and the Lakers will not immediately become a rotten team. It is worth mentioning that the No. 4 pick sent by the Lakers when they traded thick eyebrows in 2019 was the selected Hunter.
Option 5: Adebayor, Hiro, and Vincent
Of course, the premise is that the Heat can't win the championship this season, which will prompt them to gamble heavily. The Heat have been flattering the model of forming giants to win the championship, and in 2006, 2012, and 2013 they all succeeded. So superstars will be the target they have been chasing, butler although the style of the ball is hard, but the personal strength is still lacking, thick eyebrows can bring a higher ceiling.
For the Lakers, Adebayor's strength is also very strong, even if it is an offensive and defensive interior line, it also has a good range, which is very suitable for partnering with James. At the same time, Giro is already a very strong defender, averaging 20+4+4 per game this season and has good scoring ability. This is a win-win situation, and both teams may gain stronger competitiveness as a result.