5. Lakers flip Patrick Beverley for scoring
The Charlotte Hornets are the definition of a tanking team this season and they should be doing everything physically possible to make the roster worse so they have good odds of drafting Victor Wembanyama.
Charlotte does not have to do much to make that happen as they are already one of the worst teams in the league but trading away role players like Kelly Oubre Jr. certainly helps. Getting an expiring veteran like Beverley that they can just buy out (as well as a second-round pick in the top 40) is great as well.
Oubre might not be the blueprint player that the Los Angeles Lakers need to add to this roster as he has never been a great three-point shooter and wouldn’t suddenly give the team a marksman from deep.
However, he has proven that he can be a reliable scorer that can get to the basket and create his own shot as well. Los Angeles will ask him to do less than he is doing in Charlotte but off the bench, Oubre could provide much-needed scoring.
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Oubre is almost like a cheap version of Kyle Kuzma. Los Angeles realistically cannot add Kuzma via trade but they could add Oubre, who could produce 85% of what Kuzma would produce if he were to be brought back to Los Angeles.