Why The Los Angeles Lakers Do The Deal

This is no risk-free deal for the Lakers either.

If they find Robinson as unplayable in the postseason as the Heat did, they could quickly regret this decision. Again: Robinson’s annual contract of $16.9 million runs for four more seasons. That could prove a real impediment for the Lakers.

At the same time, the fact that this deal feels at all viable for the Lakers speaks to their desperation. Assuming they’ll enter 2022-23 with a similar core as last season, they’ll need spacing at any cost.

This should not be their first option. Realistically, the Lakers should seek to move Westbrook and enter the year with a different core first. If that’s not possible, they should seek floor-spacers that can also hold up on the defensive end.

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Still, if all else fails, flipping Horton-Tucker and Nunn for Robinson would at least give them a better fitting roster in 2022-23. Given this group’s average age, that would have to be preferable to inaction.