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3 reasons why the Lakers are completely wrong about Gordon Hayward

By Jason Reed

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - NOVEMBER 26: Gordon Hayward #20 of the Charlotte Hornets reacts following a call during the second half of the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Spectrum Center on November 26, 2021 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - NOVEMBER 26: Gordon Hayward #20 of the Charlotte Hornets reacts following a call during the second half of the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Spectrum Center on November 26, 2021 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers
(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers /

It is quite clear that the Los Angeles Lakers‘ biggest goal this summer is to get Russell Westbrook off the team and turn a new page with a new head coach next season. The Westbrook trade could not have gone any worse and it had a ripple effect on the entire team.

Shortly after the Lakers’ season ended, Marc Stein reported that the Charlotte Hornets were a team being mentioned to trade for Westbrook. The premise of a trade with Charlotte was that the Hornets would flip two years of Gordon Hayward (plus a contract) for one year of Russell Westbrook, likely with a draft asset attached.

That seems like great business, but not to the Lakers. Stein recently reported that the Lakers are not likely to consent to a trade for Hayward, citing a desire to not trade for an injury-prone player. The Lakers should be clamoring over the idea of getting Hayward for Westbrook, and instead, it is another ill-advised thought process by the Lakers’ front office.

3 reasons why the Los Angeles Lakers are completely wrong about Gordon Hayward:

1. Gordon Hayward is far better than anyone else the Lakers are going to be able to get

Let’s not pretend like Russell Westbrook is an asset in 2022. He isn’t. No team is going to want to trade for him this offseason. Instead, the Lakers have to entice a team to take him with assets and by taking on a contract (or multiple) that they no longer want.

Yes, there are inherent risks of trading for Hayward (more on that later) but on paper, he would be a perfect third banana behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Hayward is an elite three-point shooter that can spot up as an off-ball scorer as well as being someone who can slash to the rim both on and off-ball.

The Lakers are not going to find anyone that is as good as Hayward in a trade for Westbrook. Laker outlets can talk all they want about flipping Westbrook for Malcolm Brogdon and Buddy Hield but that would never happen in a million years as the Indiana Pacers can get far more for those two if they did want to trade them.

Hayward is the ceiling of what the Lakers could get for Russell Westbrook and the team is passing on that ceiling because of the idea that he is injury-prone when in reality, that might not hold much merit.

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