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Three Team Trade Adds Myles Turner, Buddy Hield, & Terry Rozier to Lakers

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Per Shams Charania, the Los Angeles Lakers have targeted four players for whom they are interested in trading: the Indiana Pacers’ Myles Turner and Buddy Hield, the Spurs’ Jason Richardson, and the Hornets’ Terry Rozier.

The winless Lakers are shooting a historically poor percentage from the field and from deep, losing their first three games despite LeBron James and Anthony Davis playing well and the defense ranking 5th in the league. They desperately need a legit starting center who can stretch the floor and protect the rim, a proven high percentage, high volume 3-point shooter defenses cannot ignore, and quality forwards to backup James and Davis.

Trading Westbrook and draft capital is the only way the Lakers can add front court size and 3-point shooting. Here’s a trade that brings the Lakers three of the four players for whom they’re most interested in trading. 

Three-Team Trade Between Lakers, Pacers, and Hornets

The above three-team trade essentially gives the Los Angeles Lakers three brand new starters in Myles Turner, Terry Rozier, and Buddy Hield to go with their two current superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

This three-team trade is essentially two trades rolled into one. In the first trade, the Lakers trade Russell Westbrook and 2027 and 2029 unprotected first round picks to the Indiana Pacers for Myles Turner and Buddy Hield. In the second trade, the Lakers trade guards Patrick Beverley and Kendrick Nunn to the Charlotte Hornets for Terry Rozier. Overall, the Lakers traded three guards for a new starting point guard, shooting guard, and center.

The trade is essentially a win-win-win trade. The Lakers get three new starters for Westbrook who are young enough to help the team make sure their 2027 and 2029 unprotected picks don’t turn out to be worth much. 
The Pacers, who are tanking, get the Lakers two potential blockbuster post-LeBron unprotected picks as well as helping their tank. The Hornets, who should also tank, get out of Rozier’s 4-year deal with expiring contracts.

It’s not often that a three-team trade is a win for everybody but this could be the exception. It’s the deal the Lakers should be focused on making as it gives them the best chance to compete for a ring now and in the future.

Lakers’ Depth Chart After Three-Team Trade

Terry Rozier, 28-year old point guard, 6′ 1″, 190 lbs
19.3/4.3/4.5 shooting 44.4%/37.4%/85.2% on 16.0/8.1/2.4 shots

Buddy Hield, 29-year old shooting guard, 6′ 4″, 220 lbs
15.6/4.4/2.8 shooting 40.6%/36.6%/87.4% on 13.6/8.8/1.6 shots

Myles Turner, 26 -year old center, 6′ 11″, 250 lbs
12.6/6.5/1.0 shooting 50.9%/33.3%/75.2% on 9.4/4.4/2.5 shots

The Lakers need a Westbrook trade that would elevate them to become legitimate championship contenders. Adding Myles Turner, Buddy Hield, and Terry Rozier would clearly elevate the Lakers roster to a top-6 team.

The addition of Myles Turner would give the Lakers the legitimate starting center who can both stretch the floor and protect the rim, both important skillsets that the Lakers need from the center position in Ham’s schemes. The addition of Buddy Hield and Terry Rozier would give the Lakers two tested and proven dead-eye high-volume, high-percentage 3-point shooters who made over three and took over eight threes per game last season.

Turner, Hield, and Rozier made 7.5 of the 21.0 threes taken per game last season for an acceptable 35.7%. Westbrook, Nunn (2 years ago), and Beverley made just 3.5 of the 14.1 threes taken per game for a low 24.8%. The Lakers essentially traded Russ and two picks for three starters who transform their starting lineup by allowing LeBron and AD to play down a position and surrounding them with three quality 3-point shooters.

By adding Myles Turner, Buddy Hield, and Terry Rozier, the Lakers should add at least six more wins, raising their projected win total from the current forty-four wins to the over fifty wins needed to be a top-6 team.

5 Russell Westbrook Trades That Guarantee Lakers Will Make Playoffs

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Despite showing great energy and solid defense in a 6-point loss to the crosstown rival Los Angeles Clippers, it’s obvious to everybody that the sooner the Los Angeles Lakers trade Russell Westbrook the better.

While Rob Pelinka has done a good job transforming last season’s veteran roster into a younger more energetic version, the work is not finished as the Lakers still desperately need more wing size and 3-point shooting. Unfortunately, the only path the Lakers have to fix the size and shooting roster issues this season is to trade Russell Westbrook and draft capital as soon as possible for two or three legitimate starters or rotation players.

Right now, the Lakers are projected to win 44.5 games this season, 8th behind Warriors’ 53.5 wins, Suns’ 52.5 wins, Clippers’ 51.5 wins, Nuggets 51.5 wins, Grizzlies 49.5 wins, Mavs 48.5 wins, and Timberwolves 47.5 wins. Frankly, the Lakers need make a Westbrook trade that would get them 6 additional wins. Winning over 50 games would elevate the Lakers from a 7th place finish and the play-in tournament to a solid top-6 playoff team.

The Lakers entire offseason strategy has been spent trying to find a way to keep one of their two first round picks so they will still have a pick in their pocket next summer to help them make a blockbuster move if available. Pelinka made a huge gamble turning down the Pacers deal before camp and deciding to wait until the end of November to trade Westbrook. What he wants in return is a 1-pick Westbrook trade to elevate them to playoffs.

Here are five Russell Westbrook trades, including 4 for just 1 draft pick, that would bring the Lakers multiple legitimate rotation payers and 6 more wins to bring the team’s projected win total for next season to 50.5 games.

1. Indiana Pacers: Westbrook and 2 First Round Picks (+6 Wins)

This is the only Westbrook trade that justifies the Lakers giving up both of their available first round draft picks unprotected. The addition of Turner, Hield, and McConnell add needed size, defense, and 3-point shooting.

Myles Turner, 26 -year old center, 6′ 11″, 250 lbs
12.6/6.5/1.0 shooting 50.9%/33.3%/75.2% on 9.4/4.4/2.5 shots

Buddy Hield, 29-year old shooting guard, 6′ 4″, 220 lbs
15.6/4.4/2.8 shooting 40.6%/36.6%/87.4% on 13.6/8.8/1.6 shots

T.J. McConnell, 30-year old point guard, 6′ 1″, 190 lbs
8.5/3.3/4.9 shooting 48.1%/30.3%/82.6% on 7.7/1.2/0.9 shots

2. Miami Heat: Westbrook and 1 First Round Pick (+6 Wins)

This is the first of the four Westbrook trades that only includes one of the Lakers’ two available first round draft picks. It brings the Lakers two elite volume 3-point shooters who combined take over 14 threes per game.

Kyle Lowry, 36-year old point guard, 6′ 0″, 1296lbs
13.4/7.5/3.5 shooting 44.0%/37.7%/85.1% on 10.0/6.1/3.5 shots

Duncan Robinson, 28-year old shooting guard, 6′ 7″, 215 lbs
10.9/2.6/1.6 shooting 39.9%/37.2%/83.6% on 9.2/7.9/0.8 shots

3. Washington Wizards: Westbrook and 1 First Round Pick (+6 wins)

This is another Westbrook trade that justifies the Lakers giving up just one of their available first round picks unprotected. The addition of Porzingis and Kuzma give the Lakers needed size, defense, and 3-point shooting.

Kristaps Porzingis, 27-year old center, 7′ 3″, 240 lbs
20.2/8.1/2.3 shooting 45.9%/31.0%/86.7% on 15.0/4.9/5.6 shots

Kyle Kuzma, 27-year old small forward, 6′ 9″, 221 lbs
17.1/8.5/3.5 shooting 45.2%/34.1%/71.2% on 14.2/5.7/3.3 shots

4. Utah Jazz: Westbrook and 1 First Round Pick (+6 Wins)

This is another Westbrook trade that brings the Lakers a stretch five center and two dead-eye shooting guards who are elite 3-point shooters who take over 15 threes per game in Olynyk, Clarkson, and Beasley.

Kelly Olynyk, 31-year old center, 6′ 11″, 240 lbs
15.9/4.6/3.6 shooting 45.9%/39.1%/84.6% on 12.6/4.5/3.0 shots

Malik Beasley, 25-year old shooting guard, 6′ 4″, 187 lbs
15.0/4.0/1.1 shooting 44.0%/34.5%/66.7% on 12.3/7.3/2.5 shots

Jordan Clarkson, 30-year old shooting guard, 6′ 4″, 194 lbs
10.3/5.2/2.3 shooting 47.0%/36.5%/71.6% on 8.2/4.6/0.0 shots

5. San Antonio Spurs: Westbrook and 1 First Round Pick (+6 Wins)

This is the last Westbrook trade that only costs the Lakers one of their available first round draft picks unprotected. The addition of Richardson, McDermott, and Poeltl add needed size, defense, and 3-point shooting.

Josh Richardson, 27-year old center, 6′ 6″, 190 lbs
11.4/2.9/2.3 shooting 42.9%/44.4%/94.6% on 9.1/4.3/1.8 shots

Doug McDermott, 30-year old small forward, 6′ 6″, 220 lbs
11.3/2.3/1.3 shooting 46.2%/42.2%/78.4% on 9.1/5.0/1.0 shots 

Jacob Poeltl, 28-year old center, 7′ 1″, 260 lbs
17.5/8.5/3.5 shooting 61.8%/0.0%/49.5% on 9.8/0.0/2.8 shots

What Do Los Angeles Lakers Really Want in a Russell Westbrook Trade?

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The Lakers have moved on from naïve dreams of trading for Kyrie Irving and fatal fantasies about running it back with Russell Westbrook. Now they need to figure out what they really want in a Russell Westbrook trade.

The Lakers’ position according to insiders is that they will not include both of their two available first round draft picks in a Westbrook trade unless the trade transforms them into a legitimate contender to win a championship. The Lakers’ current public position is none of their trade options, including the Indiana Pacers’ Myles Turner and Buddy Hield, elevate the team sufficiently to justify giving up two unprotected first round draft picks.

Per the insiders, the Lakers are not willing to take back more salary than they send out in a trade because of the luxury tax impact. Nor are they willing to take back contracts longer than LeBron James’ commitment. Finally, after trading Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson for Patrick Beverley, the Lakers have over $30 million in potential cap space next summer, which they could keep if they only took back expiring contracts.

The good news is the Lakers currently have two excellent opportunities to trade Russell Westbrook and draft capital for at least two legitimate starters or rotation players who would help the team’s need for size and shooting. The best fit would be the Pacers’ Myles Turner and Buddy Hield, which would likely require two first round picks. The alternative could be the Jazz’ Mike Conley and Bojan Bogdanovic, who might cost just one pick. 

Let’s take a look at both Westbrook trades and analyze each trade’s pluses and minuses and try to figure out which trade makes the most sense for the Lakers right now and what will be the major factors driving their decision.

The Indiana Pacers’ Myles Turner and Buddy Hield

Contrary to what the Lakers would like you to believe, trading Russell Westbrook and two first round draft picks for Myles Turner and Buddy Hield would transform the Lakers into legitimate championship contenders.

The Pacers trade is clearly the Lakers’ best option to build a starting lineup and a roster that could legitimately compete for another NBA championship provided superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis could stay healthy. What makes the Pacers’ trade the Lakers’ best option is Myles Turner, who’s the perfect modern two-way center the Lakers and head coach Darvin Ham need to make the Buck’s 4-out offense and drop coverage defense work.

Turner’s a 26-year old, 6′ 11″, 250 lb center who averaged 12.9/7.1/1.0 while shooting 50.9/33.3/75.2%. He led the league in blocks the past two seasons and is a career 34.9% 3-point shooter who can effectively stretch the floor. Aside from being the perfect modern center to fill the Brook Lopez role in Ham’s system as the Lakers’ stretch five rim protector, Turner also gives Anthony Davis the perfect front court mate to dominate the next five years.

Most importantly, Turner gives the Lakers an elite rim protector on the court all 48 minutes of a game and the versatility to play two bigs with Turner and Davis or a small-ball-on-steroids lineup with AD at five like in the bubble. Right now, the Lakers’ biggest weakness is lack of a proven starting center. No disrespect to Thomas Bryant or Damian Jones but there is simply no way the Lakers are going to win a championship with either of them at the five.

Trading Westbrook and two picks for Turner and Hield would be the smartest move the Lakers could make. Despite their claims otherwise, they do know Turner and Hield make them a championship team

The Utah Jazz’ Mike Conley and Bojan Bogdanovic

Everything in the media about Danny Ainge coveting the Lakers’ 2027 and 2029 unprotected first round draft picks and L.A. being interested in trading Russell Westbrook for Mike Conley and Bojan Bogdanovic is just posturing.

What this is about is the Lakers convincing the Pacers to accept Russell Westbrook plus one unprotected pick and one pick swap for Turner and Hield so the Lakers can keep an available first round pick for midseason. The Pacers want to move Buddy Hield’s two-year contract and are willing to take on Westbrook’s expiring contract for two unprotected picks. Hopefully, they will ultimately agree to accept a pick swap instead of a second pick.

What makes the Jazz and Knicks deal a logical trading partner for the Lakers is the list of legitimate rotation players like Utah’s Conley, Bogdanovic, Beasley, and Clarkson and New York’s Randle, Rose, Grimes, and Fournier. There’s also Danny Ainge’s fascination with stealing what what he envisions as two of the NBA’s most valuable and heavily coveted future draft picks: Lakers 2027 and 2029 Unprotected Post LeBron First Round Picks.

Could the Lakers put together a Westbrook trade with Utah/New York that matched or exceeded what the they could get from the Pacers for two picks or was close to what the Pacers were offering but would only cost one pick? The Lakers could put together a group of three or four elite shooters from the Jazz and Knicks but none of them are better than Buddy Hield nor plus defenders. Additionally, most of them have multiple year contracts.

Two only players whom the Lakers would be seriously interested in from the Jazz and Knicks would be Bogdanovic and Reddish, two wings that would be great fits. But those two are not better than Turner and Hield. Trading for Bogdanovic and Reddish would also cause the Lakers to switch back to James and Davis at the four and five rather than starting unproven Bryant or Jones at the five. A Davis, James, Bogdan front court could work.

In the end, the Jazz and Knick trade could lead to a Lakers trade of Kendrick Nunn for Cam Reddish but it’s nothing more than posturing by the Lakers to see if they steal Turner and Hield with just Russ and one pick and one swap.

Could a Pacers Trade Now Be Lakers’ Best Path To Ultimately Land Kyrie?

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When the path to acquire a coveted player is blocked, the smart strategy is often not to abandon that player as a target but to make moves to be in a better position to successfully trade for that player at the next opportunity.

The Los Angeles Lakers’ campaign to satisfy LeBron James’ wishes and land Kyrie Irving now appears to be dead as the Brooklyn Nets are expected to move forward with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving rather than trading them. The problem the Lakers are facing right now what direction should they go? Should they pursue a trade with the Indiana Pacers for Myles Turner and Buddy Hield or the Utah Jazz for Patrick Beverley and Bojan Bogdanovic.

There are two compelling reasons why the Los Angeles Lakers should trade Russell Westbrook and their 2027 and 2029 first round draft picks for a trio of Indiana Pacers players: Myles Turner, Buddy Hield, and T.J. McConnell. First, the trade would transform the Lakers from a lottery to a playoff team capable of competing for a championship. Second, the trade would give L.A. the key tradeable contracts to pursue Kyrie Irving at the deadline.

So let’s take a look at the proposed Westbrook and Horton-Tucker trades, evaluate whether the resulting roster can compete for a championship, and review how the Lakers will be better positioned to trade for Kyrie Irving.

Turning Russell Westbrook into Three Legitimate Rotation Players

The Lakers’ first step in building a roster that can compete for an NBA championship is to break Westbrook’s $47 million contract into three smaller, more easily tradeable contracts for legitimate rotation players.

That’s exactly what the above proposed trade does. It breaks Westbrook’s massive $47 million contract into Myles Turner’s $18.0 million contract, Buddy Hield’s $21.1 million contract, and T.J. McConnell’s $8.1 contract. Myles Turner becomes the first modern center in Lakers’ history and the defensive rim protector and offensive floor stretcher new head coach Darvin Ham needs to successfully run the Milwaukee Bucks’ 4-out offense

Buddy Hield immediately becomes the Lakers’ starting shooting guard, providing LeBron James and Anthony Davis with the high volume, high percentage 3-point shooter they desperately need to create spacing. McConnell gives the Lakers an accomplished veteran backup point guard who can run the offense with almost a 5:1 assist to turnover ratio and is an elite defender who‘s among the league leaders in steals and deflections.

Frankly, no other Westbrook trade option gives the Lakers three players who are as perfect fits for what the team needs as the Indiana Pacers trade. It gets the Lakers 75% of the way to building a championship roster.

Turning Talen Horton-Tucker into a 3&D Wing Defender and Scorer

The Lakers’ second step in building a roster than can compete for an NBA championship is to trade Talen Horton-Tucker and a second round pick to the New York Knicks for 3&D wing defender and scorer Cam Reddish.

Finding a bigger 3&D wing to backup James or Davis, guard bigger wing scorers like Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, and possibly close games when the Lakers play small ball was one of the Lakers’ top offseason priorities. While he’s struggled with injuries and had an offseason with the Knicks, the 22-year old Cam Reddish is potentially the perfect player to fill the Lakers’ needs at small forward. At 6′ 8,” 217 lbs, he can defend and shoot the three.

While the Lakers will start games with Turner at the five and James and Davis at the three and four, their formula for closing games in the playoffs and key regular season matchups is to play small ball with AD at the five. The Los Angeles Lakers won the 2020 NBA championship in the bubble with a small-ball-on-steroids closing lineup that boasted a front court of Markieff Morris at the three, LeBron James at the four, and Anthony Davis at the five.

Look for Cam Reddish to fill the role Markieff Morris filled for the Lakers bubble championship team in a small-ball-on-steroids lineup with Reddish at the three, James at the four, and Anthony Davis as the small ball five.

 Building a Championship Caliber Starting Lineup and Rotation

The Lakers’ offseason makeover could transform the team from a lottery loser to a legitimate championship contender with a dominant starting lineup backed by a deep, versatile, younger and more athletic bench.

Besides trading Westbrook and Horton-Tucker for Turner, Hield, McConnell, and Reddish, the Lakers also should waive Toscano-Anderson and Gabriel and promote Swider to a standard NBA contract from a two-way contract. That leaves the Lakers with a balanced 15-man roster with three point guards, shooting guards, small forwards, power forwards, and centers. The Lakers also have one opening for a two-way player next to Scotty Pippin Jr.

The Lakers’ starting fivesome of Nunn, Hield, James, Davis, and Turner should be among the best in the league. The main backups of McConnell, Reaves, Reddish, Johnson, and Bryant are all outstanding 3-point shooters. The reserves of Christie, Walker, Brown, Swider, and Jones provide Darvin Ham and his player development oriented coaching staff several talented young players who hopefully can grow and develop into contributors.

Trading Russ and THT for for four legitimate rotation players who are perfect fits for what the Lakers and their superstars need catapults the Lakers back into relevancy and the championship conversation.

Building a Portfolio of Tradeable Contracts for Midseason Trades

Unlike this offseason, when they had just three players earning more than the minimum, the Los Angeles Lakers could position themselves to have six tradeable payers at the trade deadline earning more than the minimum.

Those six tradeable players — Buddy Hield, Myles Turner, T.J. McConnell, Lonnie Walker IV, Cam Reddish, and Kendrick Nunn — represent a total of $64,961,204 of tradeable salaries ranging from $5,250,000 to $21,177,750. Each of six of these players are young or in the prime of their careers and on easily traded contracts, They can be aggregated in multiple ways to match salaries in a midseason trade for a superstar like Kyrie Irving.

Unfortunately, the Lakers will likely not have any first round draft picks available at the trade deadline unless they were able to get the Pacers to accept a pick and a pick swap rather than two picks in Westbrook trade. However, they still have the ability to include a pick swap or multiple second round picks so the Lakers are not totally toothless when it comes to draft capital. Next summer, they will also have their 2023 first rounder.

Unlike last trade deadline, the Lakers will have an impressive portfolio of six talented young players at multiple positions on reasonable contracts whose salaries can be aggregated to matchup in any kind of trade.

Offense+3rd Star or Defense+Depth? Why Lakers Should Choose the Latter!

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Last summer, LeBron wanted Russell Westbrook. This summer, he wants Kyrie Irving. As expected, the Lakers front office again appears ready to give James what he wants and trade for Irving despite last season’s lessons.

So far, the Lakers have done everything right. They hired a charismatic young defense-first head coach who runs a modern NBA offense in Darvin Ham and revamped their roster to be younger, longer, and more athletic. All the Lakers need to do to miraculously bounce back from last year is trade for players who complement and help James and Davis rather than players who will take valuable touches and points away from them.

Ironically, the Lakers find themselves in almost the same situation as last summer, when they pulled out of a Buddy Hield trade at the last minute to instead trade for Russell Westbrook to become the team’s third superstar. Today, the Lakers know they can trade Westbrook and two first round draft picks to the Pacers for Myles Turner and Buddy Hield. Yet, they can’t resist waiting for a chance to trade for Kyrie to be their third superstar.

Kyrie Irving and Joe Harris or Myles Turner and Buddy Hield? Offense plus 3rd star or defense plus depth? Here’s why the Lakers should choose defense plus depth and trade Westbrook for Turner and Hield:

1. Turner and Hield Won’t Take Touches From James and Davis

Rule #1 for Rob Pelinka and the Lakers is don’t do things that will take away from LeBron James and Anthony Davis. While Kyrie Irving is a huge upgrade over Russell Westbrook, he will take touches from LeBron and AD.

On the other hand, Myles Turner and Buddy Hield will complement and make it easier for LeBron James and Anthony Davis by giving them the spacing and support to enjoy career seasons and regain top-5 standing. Strategically, the last thing the Lakers should do is take the ball from LeBron James and Anthony Davis but that is exactly what happens when you add a third ball dominant superstar like Russell Westbrook or Kyrie Irving.

There’s no argument that replacing Russell Westbrook with Kyrie Irving would be a major upgrade for the point guard position and for the Lakers superstar big three. The question is whether a superstar big three is best. There’s an argument two superstars and a deeper, more versatile roster is a better championship formula than three superstars and a shallower, less versatile roster as there simply aren’t enough touches for three superstars.

The Lakers were lucky injuries kept LeBron and AD from having to sacrifice touches to Russ last season. They need to realize trading for Kyrie Irving will definitely take away touches from LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

2. Turner and Hield Will Make Lakers Better Defensive Team

The Lakers need to follow up their successful hiring of charismatic young defense-first head coach Darvin Ham by trading Russell Westbrook for the package of players that will make the Lakers a better defensive team.

It’s one thing to say defense wins championships but another to follow through when it comes to making trades but that’s the challenge the Lakers are facing right now. Should they trade Westbrook for offense or defense? Having committed to a 4-out offense with two bigs, the Lakers would be forced to gamble by having an untested young player in Thomas Bryant or Damian Jones start at center should they end up trading for Kyrie Irving.

Trading Westbrook for Turner, on the other hand, would give the Lakers the elite defensive anchor they desperately need. Myles Turner led the league in blocked shots past two seasons and is still only just 26-years old. Turner protecting the rim also frees Davis to play the four and roam the paint as a help shot blocker or play the three and become the Lakers’ wing stopper, which has become today’s most important defensive role in NBA.

Pairing Myles Turner, who led the league in blocked shots the past two seasons, with Anthony Davis would give the Lakers the best defensive front court duo in the NBA and 48 minutes of elite rim protection every game.

3. Turner and Hield Are Better Fits for Head Coach Darvin Ham

The Lakers only have to look back at the disconnect between the front office and the coaching staff last season to understand the importance of an organization to be on the same page and working in the same direction.

Being a first time head coach in the NBA is a daunting enough challenge without having also to deal with the front office not giving you the players who best fit the kind of offense and defense you want to run as the coach. Asking a brand new head coach like Darvin Ham to resurrect a legendary franchise after one of the worst seasons in its storied history is enough without asking him to deal with Russell Westbrook or Kyrie Irving.

The Lakers would be smart to give Darvin Ham the players he needs to make his offense and defense work. That means a proven rim protecting, floor spacing modern center and aggressive attack dog at point guard. Myles Turner would be the proven shot blocker and 3-point shooter Ham needs instead of an untested youngster and Patrick Beverley could be the 3&D point guard Ham needs instead of the defensively inept Kyrie Irving.

The Lakers need to resist the lure of a third superstar and focus on giving defense-first head coach Darvin Ham the players he needs to build a championship defense by trading for Myles Turner and Buddy Hield.

4. Turner and Hield Will Make Lakers Deeper and More Versatile

The problem with three superstars is it forces teams to build out the rest of their starting lineup and rotations with unproven young players, over-the-hill veterans, or guys coming off injuries who only make the minimum.

The result is a team that is extremely vulnerable to injuries to their big three and lacks the quality in the other starters and first backups off the bench to win, especially when it comes to the high pressure of the playoffs. Building a deep and versatile roster is impossible when you’re paying all three superstars max salaries. Not only are there not enough touches for all three players but there’s no money left over to build the rest of the roster.

Part of the goal of trading Westbrook is to transform him into three players earning $47 million combined. If they trade for Turner and Hield, they will still have assets to add another key piece, like point guard Pat Beverley. Should the Lakers trade for Kyrie Irving, who earns $37 million, the Lakers would not have trade capital to be able to make a second trade for Beverley. And they would start a young center whose never started for a full season.

The Lakers need depth and their goal should be to trade Russ and THT for at least four legitimate rotation players including at least two high impact defenders like Turner and Beverley to give Ham the defenders he needs.