The Lakers and Heat may be mulling a blockbuster trade: Russell Westbrook plus first-round draft picks in exchange for Kyle Lowry and Duncan Robinson?
The Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers are both underperforming teams so far this season, suggesting that neither team may be competing for a championship. According to Miami sports outlet Five Reasons Sports reporter Adam Borai, if two teams want to change the status quo, they should make one trade or multiple trades to stand a chance of making the playoffs. The Lakers and Heat can make a 2-for-2 trade with the following scenario:
1, Los Angeles Lakers take over: Kyle Lowry, Duncan Robinson
2. Miami Heat gained: Russell Westbrook, 2029 first-round pick
Why did the Lakers trade Russell Westbrook to the Heat in exchange for Kyle Lowry and Duncan Robinson, a win-win deal? Next, I will explain the specific reasons to everyone.
First, the Los Angeles Lakers added a good shooter and a veteran point guard.
First, Russell Westbrook's poor performance with the Los Angeles Lakers was largely due to his ball handling style and inefficient shooting. These factors make it difficult to partner LeBron James. After all, James needs more shooter partners, and the tactics are mainly "one star and four shots". Westbrook is clearly not for James, and trading him for two reliable goalscorers will make even more sense.
Second, Duncan Robinson is a good shooter who can score in a variety of ways from beyond the three-point line. His off-the-ball style suits LeBron James, and the Lakers' recent loss to the Trail Blazers demonstrated the lack of a quality three-point shooter for the Lakers by shooting just 6-of-33 from three-point range. It's clear that Robinson seems to be the perfect candidate for starting small forward.
Third, Kyle Lowry is a reliable point guard who did well last year, averaging 7.5 assists per game and shooting 37.7% from three-point range from the 2021 to 2022 season. If he can maintain the level he did last season, he will be a good partner for James. He can take over the organizational tasks of the Lakers and become the "engine" for the team to launch the offensive.
Fourth, trading Russell Westbrook for two shooters could make the Lakers a better offensive team. The Lakers are already a good team on the defensive end, because with Lowry and Robinson, they will become an elite team on both the offensive and defensive ends, and will break the embarrassing situation of 1-8 in October.
Second, the Miami Heat can get a point guard with a strong offensive desire.
First, the Miami Heat's biggest concern right now is the lack of offensive passion, and while they have a lot of good players, none of them can lead the team to win. Perhaps Russell Westbrook can pose a strong offensive threat to the Heat and allow the Heat to move quickly through the regular season.
Second, Russell Westbrook has struggled to improve his shooting percentage because he doesn't get a lot of usage with the Lakers, but with the Miami Heat, he gets better possession of the ball. Because the Heat also have elite shooters such as Max Struss, Gaby Vincent and Taylor Hiro, they can all make the most of their characteristics in the game and have the ability to shoot three-pointers.
Third, Russell Westbrook has excelled throughout his career, being able to pair up with a good centre-forward, and Bam Adebayo will be his perfect match. For example, during the Thunder Period, Adams cooperated with him very well.
Fourth, Kyle Lowry and Duncan Robinson have been disappointed with the Heat lately, and the team will most likely not hesitate to trade the two for Russell Westbrook. If Russell Westbrook still doesn't perform well, he could be waived at the end of the season because his contract is about to expire and could save the Heat $47 million. If he does well, he can sign a new contract.
Fifth, the Lakers' first-round pick in 2029 is important for the Heat because the team can use it to trade or select a high-potential rookie in the future. Overall, the trade will help the Miami Heat get rid of underperforming players while acquiring a good point guard on an expiring contract.
In the end, the deal benefits both parties. For the Los Angeles Lakers, it is possible to dispose of Russell Westbrook's contract while getting some reliable players in return. In this trade, the Lakers don't have to give up two draft picks, which means the team can retain the remaining draft picks for key trades in the future.
For the Miami Heat, get a former MVP star to replenish the playoff roster in advance. Russell Westbrook is likely to have a rebound season with the Heat. According to sources, the two teams are discussing the details of the deal, perhaps in the near future, what do you think about this?
