League insiders have increasingly mentioned the Hornets as a team that might have interest in trading for Lakers guard Russell Westbrook, writes Marc Stein at Substack.
Charlotte would only be interested in Westbrook in order to create long-term financial flexibility, and based on salary-matching rules, the team would have to send out roughly $38MM to acquire the former MVP. Stein points to Gordon Hayward and Terry Rozier as contracts the team might want to move to accommodate a new deal for Miles Bridges this summer, plus the future max extension of LaMelo Ball.
Hayward has been very productive when healthy for Charlotte, but injuries have again been a concern. After appearing in 44 of 72 games last season, he’s played in 49 of 79 contests this season and is listed as doubtful for Thursday’s matchup with Orlando (Twitter link). Hayward will earn $30.075MM next season and $31.5MM in 2023/24.
Rozier has also been productive over the past few seasons. His four-year, $96.26MM extension starts next season, so he’ll be under contract through ’25/26.
Pairing Hayward or Rozier with Kelly Oubre could work as a framework of a deal, Stein says. He also notes that Hornets owner Michael Jordan has long admired Westbrook, although it isn’t known whether that would play a factor in a potential trade.
The Rockets remain the most logical trade partner for Westbrook due to John Wall‘s salary being a near-perfect match, but the Lakers might not find that any more palatable than they did previously, considering Houston was asking for a first-round pick, per Stein.
League sources tell Stein that the Lakers also haven’t ruled out using the waive-and-stretch provision on Westbrook’s contract, which would split his $47.06MM player option over three seasons with annual hits of $15.69MM. Going that route would take Los Angeles out of the luxury tax and make it much easier to retain Malik Monk; the team badly wants to bring him back, so it’s considered a viable possibility.
again with teams helping out lebum.
You are talking about the Lakers putting themselves in a bigger financial hands tied problem. Both those contract are way past next year. Is Hayward and Rozier make them playoff contenders? Not a chance now they used up free agent money for the next few years.
He will be absorbed as much as possible by OKC and made to come off the bench, buyout, or sit home until his contract expires.
No he wont
Lol…..0.0% chance of that happening.
OKC took on Kemba’s deal last 2-year deal last summer for 1 first rounder, so taking on Russ’s expiring deal for 1 first ant maybe couple swaps is possible.
I’m shocked.
No teams should help out the Lakers!
No teams should help out the Hornets!
– Fixed
This could really be a win for Charlotte, certainly if they get a pick on top of it.
Hayward would add one more injury-prone player to Lakers though. Need to add Oubre and Thor for salary-matching. Dont like it.
Rozier could maybe fit in better and has a lower salary. When Lebron retires they can trade him away, but lower salary certainly opens options for Lakers. But I cant seem to get the numbers working. Maybe its possible in a multiple-team-trade with Rozier+Oubre+young guys, but I think Hayward will be needed.
I like most a Hayward+Rozier with extra teams where Hayward does not go to Lakers and Hornets can keep Oubre. Would require less draft capital from Lakers I imagine…
I want Haywards agent to negotiate anything I ever need.
Umm, why Charlotte, whyy?!?…
If Im Jeanie bust Im making this trade yesterday
So you rather 2 average players, one always injured, instead of a productive player, that is very peculiar, in that trade CHA is the clear winner, ya know!
It’s always fun when famous athletes use burner accounts to defend themselves. Best to the fam, Russ. You’re still a first ballot hall of famer, regardless of your current albatross of a contract.
The stretch provision is better than this deal. Why would the Lakers trade 1 Westbrook for 2 Westbrooks with longer/larger deals?
Worst case scenario is they play/pay him next year and open a ton of cap room in 2024.
Agreed. The Lakers don’t have enough talent around LeBron and AD to be considered an elite team. If the goal is to try and desperately surround those two with talent then sure, I guess that deal is probably the best they’re going to get. But if the goal is to just get rid of Westbrook’s contract, they’re better off sucking it up and paying him one more year or stretching his contract if they really want/need to get rid of him.
The Lakers don’t have the cap room to add meaningful players otherwise. Charlotte won’t do this, but if it were really available (Hayward and Rozier, or even Hayward and Oubre), the Lakers would be crazy not to jump on it.
Gordan Hayward and Mason Plumblee for Russell Westbrook and the 2027 first.
Trade Plumblee, THT and a second round pick for Buddy Heild.
Then sign Tristan Thompson on the vets min.
Move LeBron back into point guard
Fill out the rest of the roster in FA
1. Bron. Nunn. Augustine
2. Heild. Monk.
3. Hayward. Johnson.
4. AD. Melo.
5. Thompson. Howard
The shooting of Heild and Hayward open up the floor, Thompson knows LeBrons game and works really hard on defence. Teams will find it really hard to defend Bron, while not leaving Hayward, Heild and AD open for him to find.
Brons lack of defence will be better matched against guards who can’t score inside on him and on the perimeter he is tall enough to contest their shots.
That will be good enough for #11 next year, lol.
So funny bro hahahahaha
Curious why Charlotte would settle and trade for Westbrook when Terry is on a decent deal, and you can find other ways to unload Hayward. This makes them worse
No way Indy does that deal
Thompson is garbage
The article literally tells you why they want to trade Haywood and rozier.they want to open cap space for extensions for there young players
Except you dont need room to sign your own guys to extensions with the Bird rule. You just need to be less cheap than MJ. Dude has mad shoe money spend some on a good team for once!
Yeah it doesn’t make a lot of sense,
But I guessing trading for Russ gives them a huge expiring deal and quality picks.
Seems like they are selling cheap tho. You offer the Jazz Gordan Hayward who used to be a star there, plus Pj Washington/Mason Plumblee to replace Gobert at centre plus maybe Bouknight or picks and you could add one of the league best centres and rim protectors which is a huge need for this team.
It opens up a little bit of cap space, is overall an upgrade on the roster, fixes there biggest weakness and they can resign Ball and Bridges using the Bird rights rules.
As for Indy they might take that deal, just to cut Plumblee save money for FA, THT as a player for their rebuild and a pick. Not a awful return
As for Thompson, your not going to get an all star for the vets min. He’s someone who has played with LeBron and won a ring with him. He would be good value for money on the vets min and fit into playing LeBron ball well
Many of Westbrook fans think he is still a productive player. I dont get it. Lakers and he stunk all year, yet he was still productive? Who cares about personal stats in garbage time or losing games? He was never clutch and was never relevant player this year.
In the right scenario he can be more useful than this. The problem is the right situation is becoming more and more of a difficult fit as his skills keep dropping while the game keeps moving further from the game he was better at. Russ hates the 3PT revolution so so so much lols…
Exactly what the Lakers need – another expensive, talented player who is often injured…
I get the Hornets mindset. Get out of Hayward a year early and it will only cost you Oubre. Any other trade and they’d have to deal draft picks. Idk that the Lakers would take on Rozier unless they viewed him as a LT solution. The Lakers could in turn trade both at some point if necessary bc their contracts are smaller than Brick.
Those are at least better fitting pieces around LeBron.
Cause heyward and rozier are easier contracts to trade down the road as opposed to westbrook. Westbrook is expiring so it saves the hornets after next year while also removing 51 million between rozier and heyward. Plus westbrook is part of jordan brand. This is a win for both teams.
Not gonna lie Terry, Monk, James, LeBron, Davis is a kinda scary postseason closing lineup if they can make it that far while healthy.
Lebron count as 2 people now?
Eh, I meant to put Hayward.
What Hayward and Rozier for Russ, THT and the 2027 first round pick?
Would be a heck of a deal for the Lakers.
If Russ does get brought out it’ll be interesting to see what his market will be. Will he be after top dollar? Will he maybe want to return back to OKC? Would he just happily ring chase for his legacy?
Just thinking aloud, but maybe the Clippers on the minimum? Gets to stay in LA, Russ PG Kawhi Morris Reggie Powell Kennard Covington etc etc they made the playoffs with Kawhi and PG out most the season.
He doesnt know his career is over. It reminds me of Melo in his last yr in NY. Then Melo went to OKL and Houston where he didnt play much and both team dumped him. Then, no team wanted Melo. Because of Westbrook’s ego, no team will want him. Pathetic end for a talented player who never evolved his game.
I agree he hasn’t evolved his game but Russ is still a very talented player and fringe all star.
In arguably the worst season in his career besides being a rookie he still put up 18.5-7.5-7 while shooting his career average percentages. His turnovers were actually at a below career average. It’s just the fact everyone expect so much more from this team and from him that he’s viewed so negatively. That and the fact he hasn’t been able to add a three point shot.
If you compare him to players in similar positions, James Harden has fallen off a little too. Jimmy Butler although helping lead the Heat to 1st place in the east is averaging just over 20, shooting 24% from three. Dame Lillard who missed a lot of this season almost career lows across all his percentages while only just putting up 20.
It’s just called getting old and it happens to most players. LeBron and Chris Paul are the two expections who have been great at old age and currently playing.
Yes he does have ego issues aswell but he would still be a huge addition to a team try compete if he can be a good fit. Clippers strike me as a potential stand out cause 1 the LA thing, 2 Kawhi misses alot of games, 3 Kawhi has said he wants an upgrade at point guard in the past. But I mean he could be an option for multiple teams such as the Knicks, Washington again, New Orleans and maybe Utah
Any team that wants Russ, hasn’t watched Russ for a whole season.
“Fringe all star” for a guy that’s not one of the 20 best point guards in the NBA, but okay…
I’d definitely have him as a top 20 point guard.
Just off the top of my head, Curry Dame Doncic Morant Trae CP3 Fox JMurray DMurray Haliburton LaMelo FVV Lowry JHoliday thats 14.
Brogdan Shai Id call SG’s, who else is there?
Maxey hasn’t done enough just yet, KPJ definitely isn’t better YET, Conley isn’t better,
He should go to the Knicks. He fits with the crowd, live and die by …..