2. The Los Angeles Lakers’ title window is more important
Again, the best-case scenario for the Los Angeles Lakers is to keep THT in LA and maximize the team to contend for another championship in 2022. However, if there is an opportunity to significantly upgrade the team and upgrade the chances of winning a championship then the team must do it.
Even if that means trading away THT.
I get that THT has potential and I see that potential as well. However, I still do not think he is going to be a future star. He is going to be a really good rotation player that fits the modern NBA, but I would be legitimately shocked if he turns into someone who makes an All-Star Game.
I know that most Laker fans would disagree but let’s be honest, if the exact same player was on the Clippers instead of the Lakers you would not be as high on him.
LeBron James is not getting any younger and if there is one thing that this season proved it is that nothing is guaranteed. It would not make sense for the Lakers to not improve the team and potentially extend the title window in hopes that THT can put it all together in five years.
So why didn’t the Lakers trade for Kyle Lowry with that same logic, then? The team was only trading for half a season of Lowry. That would not have guaranteed a longer title window as he could have left after this season.
However, if they can now flip THT for multiple seasons of Lowry, or someone similar, then the team is truly extending its window.