Charlotte Hornets Receive: G Russell Westbrook, 2027 First-Round Pick (LAL)
Brooklyn Nets Receive: F Gordon Hayward, G Terry Rozier
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: G Kyrie Irving, F Joe Harris
Realistically, adding the Charlotte Hornets into the mix makes for a much more palatable deal for the Brooklyn Nets.
With this trade, they avoid the headache of having to find a new home for Simmons as well as Irving. Hayward and Rozier are both well-suited to play alongside Simmons. Alongside Kevin Durant, Seth Curry, and others, the Nets would be deeper than they’ve been in their superteam era to date.
Meanwhile, the Hornets get involved here for the sake of cutting cap space. They’re interested in Westbrook’s expiring contract. They’re likely to retain Miles Bridges in Restricted Free Agency this summer, and they’ll inevitably offer LaMelo Ball a rookie extension the following season.
Finally, the Los Angeles Lakers don’t care which of these two trades transpires. They’re flipping Westbrook and their ’27 first-round pick for Irving and Harris either way.
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It feels safe to say that this personnel change would benefit their team in 2022-23. After the season they just had, that’s a low bar to clear.
