Charlotte Hornets Receive: G Russell Westbrook
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: F Gordon Hayward, C Mason Plumlee
Consider this a more conservative version of the same arrangement.
The Charlotte Hornets would prefer this deal if they prefer to hold onto Terry Rozier. They may even feel that, while they’ll need to clear his contract eventually, they’d prefer not to do so until either James Bouknight or an outside hire is ready to fill his role.
They could also reject this deal on the grounds of not wanting to lose Plumlee. This team is particularly thin at the center position: why let go of one of their best?
Well, Plumlee is probably replaceable. He’s a solid rotation player, but he shouldn’t be enough to hold off on this beneficial trade. The Hornets could draft one of the many bigs in the 2022 class, or look to free agency to replace him.
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Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers get to hold onto their first-round pick here. Realistically, they should prefer the first deal. They’re squarely in win-now mode, and Hayward alone may not sufficiently move the needle. Still, they can justify holding onto an asset. Flipping Westbrook for Hayward still improves their currently messy roster construction.
