Buddy Hield to lakers? Update: Westbrook to Lakers?

[gouki88]

I like Kuzma but this is a big win for the Lakers.

How?

[Irish Stew]

Russell is hyperproductive but not efficient. If LJ can change that equation to less productive and more efficient, then they really have something. It's kind of a crapshoot for the Lakers.

[footey]

Westbrook to Lakers official.

[gouki88]

Westbrook to Lakers official.

https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1420900854337572867

The Washington Wizards have agreed to trade Russell Westbrook, 2024 second-round pick, 2028 second-round pick to the Los Angeles Lakers for Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell and No. 22 tonight

[bdm860]

So what's Montrezl Harrell value around the league?  Like if if didn't opt in, what kind of contract do you think he could pull?  It's a pretty weak free agent class this year, right?  And the contract he opted into is mid-level exemption money. 

Seems like he's doing the Lakers a big favor here with no say where he'd end up (could have been Sacramento, now it's the Wizards, but maybe they'll deal him somewhere else). I would think he could have opted out and at the least get a 1 year contract for the same money he's earning now, maybe even more.

Seems like a favor for the Lakers, but maybe I'm out of touch with his market value.  Did his playoff performance the last couple of years tank his value à la Ben Simmons?

[gouki88]

What role does Harrell play on Washington with Bryant and Gafford already there?

[blink]

Westbrook to Lakers official.

https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1420900854337572867

The Washington Wizards have agreed to trade Russell Westbrook, 2024 second-round pick, 2028 second-round pick to the Los Angeles Lakers for Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell and No. 22 tonight

So no Buddy? 

wow, what a horrible move by the lakers.  Is there any chance at all this works out for them?  RW makes 44 million this year, and 47 million next year.   Between Lebron, Davis and RW, how much tax will they be paying for that level of dis-function?

[gouki88]

Westbrook to Lakers official.

https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1420900854337572867

The Washington Wizards have agreed to trade Russell Westbrook, 2024 second-round pick, 2028 second-round pick to the Los Angeles Lakers for Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell and No. 22 tonight

So no Buddy? 

wow, what a horrible move by the lakers.  Is there any chance at all this works out for them?  RW makes 44 million this year, and 47 million next year.   Between Lebron, Davis and RW, how much tax will they be paying for that level of dis-function?

Their three star players are all increasingly injured, ageing and declining. They are also earning a combined $120,753,050 next season

[blink]

Westbrook to Lakers official.

https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1420900854337572867

The Washington Wizards have agreed to trade Russell Westbrook, 2024 second-round pick, 2028 second-round pick to the Los Angeles Lakers for Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell and No. 22 tonight

So no Buddy? 

wow, what a horrible move by the lakers.  Is there any chance at all this works out for them?  RW makes 44 million this year, and 47 million next year.   Between Lebron, Davis and RW, how much tax will they be paying for that level of dis-function?

Their three star players are all increasingly injured, ageing and declining. They are also earning a combined $120,753,050 next season

I mean that sounds like a win for us, probably not going to be optimal for the lakers.  The thing is there were so many other directions they could have gone to improve their team.  lol...

[perks-a-beast]

Westbrook to Lakers official.

https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1420900854337572867

The Washington Wizards have agreed to trade Russell Westbrook, 2024 second-round pick, 2028 second-round pick to the Los Angeles Lakers for Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell and No. 22 tonight

So no Buddy? 

wow, what a horrible move by the lakers.  Is there any chance at all this works out for them?  RW makes 44 million this year, and 47 million next year.   Between Lebron, Davis and RW, how much tax will they be paying for that level of dis-function?

Their three star players are all increasingly injured, ageing and declining. They are also earning a combined $120,753,050 next season

The Lakers are going to be an absolute trainwreck this season, and i'm going to thoroughly enjoy every second of it. What a mistake this is.

[gouki88]

Westbrook to Lakers official.

https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1420900854337572867

The Washington Wizards have agreed to trade Russell Westbrook, 2024 second-round pick, 2028 second-round pick to the Los Angeles Lakers for Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell and No. 22 tonight

So no Buddy? 

wow, what a horrible move by the lakers.  Is there any chance at all this works out for them?  RW makes 44 million this year, and 47 million next year.   Between Lebron, Davis and RW, how much tax will they be paying for that level of dis-function?

Their three star players are all increasingly injured, ageing and declining. They are also earning a combined $120,753,050 next season

The Lakers are going to be an absolute trainwreck this season, and i'm going to thoroughly enjoy every second of it. What a mistake this is.

I agree. Their roster is now gutted, two of their three stars don't really bother with defence anymore, and none of their three stars are above average shooters from deep. Loving this

[nickagneta]

Lakers right now have Lebron, AD, Westbrook and Marc Gasol as the only guaranteed contracts on the team. Alphonso McKinnie is on the team but his contract isn't guaranteed.

Their free agents w/rights are Schoder and Caruso and I think the rest are all on vet min deals.

It's not going to be easy building a team around the three stars

[bdm860]

Is there any chance at all this works out for them?  RW makes 44 million this year, and 47 million next year.   Between Lebron, Davis and RW, how much tax will they be paying for that level of dis-function?

Perhaps they end up like a better version of the Isiah era Knicks?  They just keep trading for big names, losing all your assets and cap space in the process.  Traded for Marbury, Steve Francis, Eddy Curry, Zach Randolph, etc.  Everyone thought the Knicks were back!

Performance wise, could they end up like '99 Rockets or '13 Lakers?  A lot of excitement going in, ended with a lot of dysfunction and a first round knockout in both.

[blink]

Lakers right now have Lebron, AD, Westbrook and Marc Gasol as the only guaranteed contracts on the team. Alphonso McKinnie is on the team but his contract isn't guaranteed.

Their free agents w/rights are Schoder and Caruso and I think the rest are all on vet min deals.

It's not going to be easy building a team around the three stars

Talen Horton Tucker has a QO from the lakers for 1.9 mil.  Dunno if other teams will make offers to make the Lakers pay more than that.  Possibly.

[Moranis]

I like Kuzma but this is a big win for the Lakers.

How?

Westbrook is an excellent passer, ball handler, and rebounder.  He will take immense pressure off of James and actually allow him to rest a lot more (on the floor).  That will give the Lakers a huge advantage at the end of games when James can go full bore and actually have stuff left in the tank.  Westbrook will also put relentless pressure on opposing PG's and he gets to the line a lot.  I just don't think it is a bad thing for a team to add a guy that plays most every game and is coming off a season averaging 22.2, 11.5 and 11.7.  And it isn't like Russ is replacing an elite shooter.  Schroder is a better shooter, but isn't a lot better or actually good, and Russ is literally better at everything else (and they still can sign Schroder or sign and trade him).  Harrell and KCP are fairly easy to replace role players, and while I like Kuzma, he just isn't a good fit with James and Davis so I think they can replace him fairly easily as well.   

Lakers clearly need to add some depth, but I don't think they will have that much difficulty finding some solid role players and they always could still bring back guys like Morris, Matthews, Drummond and Dudley (I expect Caruso and Horton-Tucker to be back).