Potential Lakers trade target cryptically adds more fuel to the fire on Twitter
By Jason Reed
Los Angeles Lakers fans have already seen enough of this team this season. The Lakers came out of the gates in the worst way possible, dropping to an 0-2 record with the worst start beyond the arc in the history of the sport.
After calling for it all summer, Lakers fans are pleading for a Russell Westbrook trade to happen sooner rather than later, regardless of a potential timeline that the organization has given itself to get a deal done.
The most talked-about trade for Westbrook is a deal that includes Buddy Hield and Myles Turner. However, there are other targets and three-point shooters that the Lakers can bring in. What the team does depends largely on what kind of returns they can get.
One of the potential three-point shooting targets that the Lakers could try and add is Gordon Hayward of the Charlotte Hornets. Hayward added fuel to the rumor-mill fire on Twitter by liking (and then un-liking) a tweet that outlines why trading for him is the best move LA could make this season.
Hayward quickly realized that he sparked something and un-liked the tweet but the message was still sent regardless. And quite frankly, this tweet (and the former all-star) may have a point.
It might actually be better for the Lakers to trade for Gordon Hayward.
Now, there are extraneous factors to consider. If the price for the Lakers to get a deal done with the Hornets is two first-round picks, like it is with the Pacers, then the team is probably best just waiting it out anyway.
Sure, Myles Turner is injury-prone and that is a concern but so is Hayward. If the Lakers don’t want to trade two picks for Hield and Turner then they definitely should not trade two picks for a package headlined by Hayward.
That being said, the cost might be cheaper for a deal with the Hornets. The main reason being is that Hayward is on a two-year deal at over $30 million. Charlotte is getting the added benefit of salary-cap relief by making this trade. Sure, Westbrook makes a lot, but he is off the books after this season.
That alone is valuable to a small-market team like Charlotte and that could swing the cost from two first-round picks to one. If that is suddenly the reality then it does make more sense for the Lakers to get three bodies over two and get a potential third star in Hayward that can do more than shoot.
Plus, isn’t Westbrook just such a perfect fit in Charlotte? While it would definitely be clunky with him, Terry Rozier and LaMelo Ball, the Hornets are the perfect small-market team to let him go put up empty stats and elevate them from being the 11th seed to a ninth seed.