How This Trade Impacts Los Angeles Lakers
This would be a huge change of roster alignment should the Los Angeles Lakers trade Russell Westbrook. The entire outlook could be changed, but that may not necessarily be a bad thing.
LeBron James has had success running point guard for the Lakers. He was the primary point guard when the team won the NBA Championship in the Orlando Bubble. Should Westbrook be traded, he could assume that role again with Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Nunn backing him up. Trey Burke, in this scenario, could also chip in.
The addition of Kristaps Porzingis is a humongous risk for the Lakers. That acquisition would make or break the rest of James’s career in the purple and gold. If they get the Porzingis we saw during the postseason, the Lakers can kiss their championship hopes goodbye.
But, if they get the Porzingis we saw before the NBA shutdown in 2020, they could have something special on their hands. The combination of Anthony Davis and Porzingis in the frontcourt is something that teams would have a challenging time slowing down, especially when both of them are on top of their games.
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They would terrorize opponents inside and out offensively, as their games complement each other well. Defensively, as long as they are comfortable mixing and matching at the center position, the Lakers would have a ton of rim protection.
But, there are legitimate concerns about whether or not we will see that pre-shutdown Porzingis. He has a lengthy injury history and missed more games than he’s played so far this season, and he was unhappy with how the Mavericks were using him. Would he be accepting of being the third option behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis?
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If the Russell Westbrook acquisition doesn’t pan out, this is likely the only scenario the Lakers could try and salvage things with. There is immense risk involved, but the reward could be satisfying as well.
