Los Angeles Lakers Receive: F PJ Tucker, F Danuel House Jr.
Houston Rockets Receive: G Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, LAL 2022 1st Round Pick
The Houston Rockets are in shambles right now as an organization as they fired their GM and head coach in the offseason, traded away Robert Covington and Russell Westbrook and now with James Harden gone, this team has entered a new era. Everything that could have gone wrong for this organization went wrong and now, they are facing an up-hill journey to try and rebuild their organization into a championship contender.
They have had some success at times this year with John Wall and others, but overall, this team does not look like a legit playoff team, especially in a crowded Western Conference. The best thing they can do is to continue to get younger and acquire draft assets now, which is exactly what this trade allows them to do.
With the “Houston Rockets’ Garage Sale” going on, PJ Tucker being traded would make a lot of sense on Houston’s end of things. He is now 35-years old and does not have many years left in the NBA. His value is as high as it can be right now and if they are able to acquire KCP and a first-round pick for him, that would be a big win for this organization and their front-office.
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Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has been a “3-and-D” wing for the Lakers all season long and has played his role perfectly, shooting just about 42% from three-point range and averaging just under a steal per game. The sharpshooting guard is not only an intriguing player for the Rockets to add to their rotation, but is also someone they could look to move next offseason, possibly for another draft pick.
While he has held a big role on the Lakers, the additions of Tucker and House Jr. could really improve the Lakers overall production and depth. With Anthony Davis (calf) and Dennis Schroder (health protocols) being out right now, it is clear to see that this Lakers team does not have the production they need to compete with the league’s best, which is why adding a high-level defensive player in Tucker makes a lot of sense.
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Danuel House Jr. can replicate the production KCP has given the Lakers, but Tucker can help make this Lakers’ defense better than it already is. Defense won the Lakers a championship last year and should be the focal point of their team and championship aspirations once again.
PJ Tucker is available from the Houston Rockets for the right price and he would have more of an impact on the Lakers’ chances of winning back-to-back titles than Kentavious Caldwell-Pope would. With that said, let’s take a look at why this trade would benefit both the Lakers and the Rockets.
