How the Lakers can trade for Terry Rozier for just one first-round pick
By Jason Reed
The Los Angeles Lakers might already be hitting the panic button on the 2022-23 season. Los Angeles has dug itself an early 0-3 hole and there has not been good basketball in those three games.
After fans demanded a trade all summer with months of speculation, it really does seem like a Russell Westbrook trade could be around the corner. Rob Pelinka may have a planned timeline for a potential Westbrook deal but that won’t matter much if the team continues to bottom out.
One name that has re-entered the Westbrook trade rumors is Charlotte’s Terry Rozier. Shams Charania of The Athletic reported on Monday that the Lakers had interest in Rozier during the offseason and that interest remains high.
We broke down what a perfect Rozier package would look like for the Lakers and it included two first-round picks. However, Los Angeles may want to keep one of those picks, and can potentially do so by taking a package that is riskier in nature, but might be worth it because of the draft capital.
How the Lakers can trade for Terry Rozier using just one first-round pick:
The answer is quite simple: add Gordon Hayward to the deal. It may not seem plausible that the price of the trade would go down with Hayward involved but with Charlotte’s potential motives, this could convince the team to take just one first-round pick in return.
Here is what a potential deal could look like including Hayward and just one first-round pick sent by Los Angeles:
Kendrick Nunn has not been great for LA and there is a logjam at the point guard position. The team can afford to trade Nunn if they are adding Rozier and would want to do so, as they would end up taking less money overall in the process (just marginally).
Charlotte does this trade if they want to free up future money and essentially hit the reset button. Instead of being a middling team with LaMelo Ball, Rozier and Hayward, the Hornets could get off future money, try to tank this season with Westbrook in town, and build around Ball and a lottery pick from 2023.
In a perfect world, the Hornets would be able to get the first or second overall pick and bring in either Victor Wembanyama or Scoot Henderson. If that were to happen then they would suddenly have one of the best young cores in the sport.
The cost of freeing up that future money may convince Charlotte to take just one pick instead of two. Typically teams have to give up assets to get this kind of long-term salary relief. Here, the Hornets would be getting an asset.
Los Angeles does this trade if they desperately want to include just one first-round pick in the trade package. However, the team would be taking on a lot of money in return and would be in the same financial position next season just with two players instead of one.
With limited flexibility to add role players and the front office likely not wanting to go over the repeater tax, they may prefer to trade a future asset rather than spend now. If that is the case, this trade is dead in the water. If not, this trade has serious legs.