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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

Here’s How the Lakers Could Create a Superstar Big Four for Next Season!

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Why should the Los Angeles Lakers settle for a Superstar Big Three when there’s a legitimate chance they can create the NBA’s first Superstar Big Four with LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Kyle Lowry, and DeMar DeRozan?

The odds of the Lakers pulling off deals to land both Lowry and DeRozan may be long and depend on the loyal and grateful Toronto Raptors and San Antonio Spurs working to get Kyle and DeMar to their desired destinations. While there’s an interest from Lowry and DeRozen to join the Lakers, the path to acquire them would require both players to agree to take a pay cut over what they’re currently making and agree to a sign-and-trade to LA.

Here’s how the Lakers could add Lowry and DeRozan to James and Davis, how they could fill out the rest of the roster despite being hardcapped, and why a Superstar Big Four could well portend the NBA’s next dynasty.

ADDING LOWRY AND DEROZAN

The only way the Lakers can acquire Kyle Lowry is via a sign-and-trade with the Toronto Raptors. The Lakers have two options for acquiring DeMar DeRozan: sign-and-trade for him or sign him for the $9.5 million full MLE.

Since receiving a player via a sign-and-trade automatcially hardcaps a team, the Lakers will have to keep total salaries, including the $5 million left on the books from Luol Deng, under the $142.9 million hard cap for 2021–22. Adding both Lowry and DeRozan is possible if the Lakers can limit their combined starting annual salaries under $35 million and move Kuzma, Caldwell-Pope, Horton-Tucker, and Harrell if he exercises his player option.

If the Lakers were successful in creating a Superstar Big Four with LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Kyle Lowry, and DeMar DeRozan, they would immediately become championship favorites for the 2021–22 season.

FILLING OUT THE FULL ROSTER

After building a Superstar Big Four with LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, the Lakers will only have $27.8 million left under the $142.9 million hard cap to fill out the rest of their roster.

There are two options for the Lakers to fill out the roster. In the first option, Los Angeles sign-and-trades for Kyle Lowry, straight trades for Reggie Bullock, and then signs DeMar DeRozan to the full Mid Level Exception. The Lowry trade clears Schroder, Kuzma, and Horton-Tucker from the roster and the Bullock trade clears Caldwell-Pope and Harrell. With 4 superstars, Gasol, and pick, the Lakers need at least six more players to have 12.

In the second option, Los Angeles reduces their sign-and-trade offer for Lowry by $5 million, uses the extra money to sign-and-trade DeRozan for $15 million, and then signs Reggie Bullock for the full Mid Level Exception. The Lowry and Bullock trades clear the salaries of Schroder, Kuzma, Horton-Tucker, Caldwell-Pope and Harrell from the Lakers’ salary cap, giving them the cap space for the six players to fill out the roster to 12 players.

While the above rosters only have 12 active players, the Lakers can either try to free up another $3.4 million to add two more players or they can sign two new players to two-way contracts to provide two extra bodies.

BUILDING THE NEXT DYNASTY

A starting lineup of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, and Reggie Bullock would be a huge upgrade over last year’s starting fivesome and set the stage for another Lakers’ dynasty.

The Lakers would be replacing the Schroder and Caldwell-Pope backcourt that only made 3.0 threes out of 7.9 attempts per game with the Lowry and Bullock backcourt that averaged 5.3 threes out of 13.3 attempts per game. That would result in a 68.3% increase in 3-point takes and 76.7% increase in 3-point makes by the Lakers backcourt. Making 2.3 additional 3-point shots per game would boost LA’s offensive output by 7 points per game.

Transforming the Lakers’ backcourt from low volume, low percentage to high volume, high percentage would eliminate the Lakers’ negative 3-point differential and opens the door to add DeMar DeRozan at small forward. Starting DeRozan would give the Lakers a lethal midrange jump shooter who can close games and get his shot against any defender like his mentor Kobe Bryant or stars like Kawhi Leonard, Chris Paul, and Devin Booker.

The Lakers will be looking at multiple options for rebuilding their roster but creating a Superstar Big Four with James, Davis, Lowry, and DeRozan plus Bullock could set the stage for the Los Angeles Lakers next dynasty.

Could Benefits of Being Hardcapped Outweigh the Negatives for Lakers?

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There’s a reason why more than half of the teams in the NBA opted to be hardcapped this past season. While hardcapping limits what a team can spend on salaries for the season, it also gives teams other advantages.

The first advantage is hardcapped teams can sign-and-trade for other teams’ free agents. For teams like the LA Lakers who don’t have cap space, sign-and-trades are the only way they can acquire a high priced free agent. The Lakers’ priority this summer is to find a ‘difference-making playmaker.’ Since the top point guards this summer will be free agents, the Lakers may have to accept being hardcapped to land the elite playmaker they covet.

The second advantage is hardcapped teams get the full $9.5 million MLE to sign one or more free agents from other teams. The full MLE gives the Lakers a huge competitive advantage versus teams that are not hardcapped. Non-hardcapped teams only get the $5.9 million taxpayer MLE or the $4.9 million room MLE so the Lakers would be able to offer the best MLE candidates a greater annual salary than non-hardcapped teams can offer.

Landing an elite veteran point guard via sign-and-trade and a deadeye 3-point shooting guard or small forward via the full MLE could give the Lakers two starters superior to any players available if not hardcapped.

What makes being hardcapped a smart strategy for teams without cap space is the access to star free agent players. Sign-and-trades and the full MLE are powerful tools to accelerate building a caliber championship team.

The Lakers’ top sign-and-trade point guard target is Kyle Lowry, whom they tried to trade for at the deadline. Lonzo Ball, Chris Paul, Devonte Graham, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Derrick Rose are also sign-and-trade candidates. The Lakers’ top point guard trade target is Malcolm Brogdon, whom the Pacers have now put on the trade block. Russell Westbrook, Kemba Walker, Collin Sexton, and Terry Rozier are other point guards available via trade.

The Lakers’ top shooting guard candidate for the MLE is the Hornets’ Malik Monk, an unrestricted free agent sharpshooter. Other shooting guards for the MLE are Victor Oladipo, Alex Burks, Terrence Davis, and J.J. Redick. The Lakers’ top small forward target for the MLE is the Pelicans’ Josh Hart. Will Barton, Josh Hart, Furkan Korkmaz, Kelly Oubre, Kent Bazemore, Otto Porter, Jr., and Reggie Bullock are other small foward MLE candidates.

Being hardcapped would be worth it if the Lakers could sign-and-trade for Kyle Lowry and then sign a second quality starter like Malik Monk or Josh Hart with the full MLE. The #22 pick also becomes valuable if hardcapped.

There are severe limits to what a team can do if hardcapped. A sign-and-trade for Kyle Lowry or any free agent cannot exceed $25 million per year or the Lakers might not be able to re-sign Caruso and Horton-Tucker.

There’s a misconception teams can build better, deeper rosters by paying luxury taxes rather than being hardcapped. The reality is luxury taxes are structured so that progressive penalties rapidly limit what teams can do. Should the Lakers traded for Russell Westbrook, the annual salaries of LeBron, AD, Russ, Gasol, eight players for the vet minimum, and Deng’s $5 million waive-and-stretch total $142.0 million or close to the tax apron.

The luxury tax bill for using the taxpayer $5.9 million MLE to add a 13th player would be expensive. The total luxury taxes would cost the Lakers $12.5 million, bringing the annual pay for that player to $18.4 million. From there, the taxes become even more exorbitant. Adding 14th and 15th players who earn just the veteran minimum salary of $1.7 million would cost the Lakers another $15 million in taxes to completely fill out the roster.

The bottom line is there are advantages and disadvantages for teams willing to be hardcapped or pay luxury taxes. Which route a team chooses will depend on the specific roster needs and financial landscape of the team.

The Los Angeles Lakers Cap Dilemma: Accept Hard Cap or Pay Luxury Taxes!

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The Lakers road back to championship contention depends on whether they chose to accept a hard cap by pursuing sign-and-trades for other team’s free agents or opt to pay luxury taxes by re-signing all of their own free agents.

There are advantages to being hardcapped, namely being able to sign-and-trade for other teams’ free agents and being able to use the full $9.5 million Mid-Level and the $3.7 million Bi-Annual Exceptions to sign free agents. But being hardcapped has consequences. The team’s total annual salaries cannot ever exceed $143 million, which greatly limits the trade and free agency opportunities the team can take advantage of during the season.

Declining to be hardcapped has advantages in that teams can go over the cap to re-sign their own free agents using various versions of Bird rights. That’s critical for the Lakers who have numerous free agents of their own. For big market teams like the Lakers with strong local revenues, going over the cap allows them more freedom to create deep and versatile rosters with the only penalty being a brutal luxury tax that could cost $25-$50 million.

So let’s take a look at the Lakers’ salary cap situation to see what roster building options they have should they decide to accept being hardcapped or commit to paying the luxury taxes and re-signing their own free agents.

1. The Los Angeles Lakers’ Options If Hardcapped.

LAKERS TRADE KCP & KUZMA FOR KYLE LOWRY

Adding a third superstar like Kyle Lowry, whom the Lakers tried to trade for during the season, to go with LeBron James and Anthony Davis might be a sign-and-trade the Lakers might accept though it would hardcap them.

Let’s look at the Lakers’ salary cap numbers after the above proposed trade to see the impact of being hardcapped on their roster. Accepting Lowry in a sign-and-trade would hardcap the Lakers at $143 million for the season. The key is how much they have to pay for the third superstar. Paying Kyle Lowry $22.0 million per year for three years still allows the Lakers to keep everybody on their roster but Dennis Schroder and Montrezl Harrell.

After trading Kuzma and KCP for Lowry, the Lakers would have four players under contract — James, Davis, Lowry, and Gasol — for $101.2 total salary, leaving them with $41.8 million under the hard cap to build out the roster. That’s enough to cover $10.0 million to re-sign THT, $9.0 million of the full MLE, $5.0 million to for Caruso, $1.9 million for McKinnie, $1.6 million for the #22 pick, $5.0 million for Deng, and $9.3 million for 6 roster spots.

LAKERS $143 M ILLION SALARY CAP SPENDING UNDER A HARD CAP

Signing-and-trading Kuzma and KCP for another team’s free agent earning less than $22 million per year would enable the Lakers to bring back their own free agents other than Schroder and Harrell and pay minimal taxes.

2. The Los Angeles Lakers’ Options If Not Hardcapped.

LAKERS TRADE KUZMA, KCP, HARRELL, MCKINNIE, & PICK FOR ROZIER AND HIELD

The Lakers might opt to avoid pursuing other teams’ free agents and being hardcapped and instead look to upgrade their roster by bringing back their own free agents and trading for players under contract with other teams.

Not being limited to total annual salaries under $143 million would allow the Lakers to go over the salary cap to trade for players under contract to other teams and to award deserved raises to re-sign their own free agents. The Lakers would have no limit to how far they go over the cap to re-sign key free agents of their own like Schroder, Horton-Tucker, and Caruso. The only penalty they would face would be an expensive luxury tax bill.

Here’s a breakdown of how the roster would look after the above proposed trade of Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell, and Alfonzo McKinnie for the Hornets Terry Rozier and the Kings Buddy Hield. The Lakers total salaries for adding Rozier and Hield and bringing back everybody but Shroder or Harrell would be $157.0 million, which would cost $33.3 million in luxury taxes and a total payroll of $190.3 million

LAKERS $157 MILLION SALARY CAP SPENDING UNDER SOFT CAP

So letting Schroder and Harrell walk and focusing on trades for players under contract rather than sign-and-trades for free agents could also enable the Lakers to build a championship roster but would cost $50 million more.

The availablity of the ‘right’ player will determine whether the Lakers opt to go after other teams’ free agents and be hardcapped or re-sign their own free agents, trade for players under contract, and incur major luxury taxes.

The Lakers would be wise to eschew pursuing sign-and-trades for other teams’ free agents unless the player is a legitimate third superstar who earns less than $22 million per year to complement LeBron and AD. Otherwise, they would be smart to look to trade for high volume, high percentage 3-point shooting guards and bring back most of their own free agents even if it cost them $190 million rather than $143 million in salaries and taxes.

The competitive landscape of the league has changed dramatically since the Lakers won their Bubble Championship. The Lakers woud be smart to avoid chasing other teams’ free agents and becoming hardcapped at $143 million.

Four Sign-and-Trade Deals Involving Dennis Schroder and Montrezl Harrell

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The only way the Los Angeles Lakers can upgrade their starting point guard, shooting guard, and center positions is to find trading partners able and willing to sign-and-trade for Dennis Schroder and Montrezl Harrell.

Otherwise, the Lakers simple don’t have the trading chips to do more than fill one of those three starting positions. Right now, the Lakers’ only major tradeable contracts are Kuzma’s and KCP’s $13 million annual contracts. Finding trading partners to pay Schroder the $25 million and Harrell the $15 million they’re seeking will be challenging but would give the Lakers the additional trading chips they need to rebuild their starting lineups.

So let’s take a look at which NBA teams could be interested in sign-and-trade deals for either Dennis Schroder or Montrezl Harrell and who also could have a player or players who would be good fits on the Lakers.

1. Kyle Lowry and the Toronto Raptors

The Lakers should obviously revisit the failed Schroder and Caldwell-Pope for Lowry deal that fell through at last season’s trade deadlline because the Lakers would not include young star Horton-Tucker as part of the package.

In retrospect, the Lakers and the Raptors both could have second thoughts about not going through with this deal as both teams’ seasons ended on a low note. The question is what would a resurrected trade look like today. The Lakers are in a pure win-now mode but aren’t willing to invest over $20 million per year on Dennis Schroder while the Raptors want to do right by Kyle Lowry but could benefit by swapping him for a younger point guard.

While the original deal is no longer viable, a straight up double sign-and-trade of Schroder for Lowry could make sense for both teams and prevent them from losing a star point guard to free agency with nothing in return.

2. Buddy Hield and Sacramento Kings

Another deal discussed last season the Lakers should revisit was the trade of Kyle Kuzma for the Kings’ Buddy Hield. The Lakers have long coveted Hield for his 3-point shooting while the Kings have long had their eyes on Kuzma.

Buddy Hield’s high volume, high percentage 3-point shooting is exactly what the Lakers need offensively while Kyle Kuzma enjoyed his best season ever playing under Kings’ coach Luke Walton when he coached the Lakers. With the emergence of rookie Tyrese Halliburton as the Kings’ starting shooting guard, Sacremento is looking to get off Hield’s big contract and could also use a quality scoring big to back up Richaun Holmes at center.

A trade of Kyle Kuzma and Montrezl Harrell for Buddy Hield would give the Lakers the elite 3-point shooting two guard they need while giving the Kings two elite role players who would upgrade their bench and roster.

3. Russell Westbrook and Washington Wizards

Russell Westbrook’s a mediocre 3-point shooter, only averaging 30.5% from deep for his career, and a turnover machine, averaging almost 5 per game, but he’s also a walking and talking triple-double averaging 22.2/11.5/11.7.

It’s hard to fathom what the Washington Wizard’s game plan is going forward but there’s a point where they need to trade Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook and begin the long term task of rebuilding their roster. The win now Los Angeles Lakers need an upgrade a point guard over Dennis Schroder and Russell Westbrook would give them an elite triple-double point guard to complement LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Trading Dennis Schroder, Kyle Kuzma, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for Russell Westbrook could give the Lakers the third superstar they need to compete against the Brooklyn Nets and their Superstar Big Three.

4. Devonte Graham and Malik Monk and the Charlotte Hornets

The Los Angeles Lakers are looking for high volume, high percentage 3-point shooters and the Charlotte Hornets need more front court size and diversity and showed interest in trading for Kuzma and Harrell last season.

With the emergence of LaMelo Ball as starting point guard, Terry Rozier has moved to starting shooting guard and the Hornets have a surplus of good 3-point shooting guards to be traded for more front court size and diversity. Charlotte needs upgrades at both the starting power forward and center positions to balance their guard and wing heavy roster. Kuzma would slide right into the starting power forwar slot while Harrell would be 6th man.

Trading Harrell and Kuzma for Graham and Monk should be a win-win for both the Lakers and the Hornets. The Lakers get desperately needed 3-point shooting in the backcourt while the Hornets get great depth at the 4 and 5.