Los Angeles Lakers Receive: G Victor Oladipo, PHI 2021 2nd Round Pick (Pick Swap, Houston outgoing)
Houston Rockets Receive: G Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, F Kyle Kuzma, G Alex Caruso, LAL 2022 1st Round Pick
As a result of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope re-signing with the Lakers in the offseason, he is unable to be traded before Feb. 20, meaning this trade could not happen for another few weeks. Hypothetically though, this trade could potentially work both financially and roster wise for both teams.
The 2x All-Star guard has missed some time over the last few seasons due to a major knee injury, but now Oladipo is fully healthy and has been impactful since being traded to Houston. In 8 games with the Rockets, Victor Oladipo has averaged 20.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.1 steals and has shot 39.4% from the floor.
He has arguably been their best player since joining the team and as a result, Victor Oladipo looks like his old All-Star self. Pairing him up with Anthony Davis and LeBron James in Los Angeles would be a dream come true for the Lakers’ front-office and could set them up for back-to-back titles this season.
So far this year, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ranks 8th in the league in three-point shooting and has been a key role player for the Lakers. Kuzma has also continued to be an impact player off-the-bench, as has Alex Caruso.
All three guys impact the Lakers in different ways and all of them could be impactful players for the Rockets moving forward. This team is currently in the midst of figuring out whether or not they are a playoff team in the West and while getting rid of Oladipo may look like it would hurt their chances to do so, getting three key role players gives them more depth and productive players on the court.
Ultimately, the Rockets could probably receive better value in dealing Victor Oladipo somewhere else, but in this trade with the Lakers, they may receive enough to keep them afloat for now and potentially make the playoffs for the 9th straight season.
With that being said, let’s take a closer look as to why both teams would want to make this trade with one another.
