Why The Los Angeles Lakers Do The Deal
For the Los Angeles Lakers, any change is a positive change. They should be absolutely desperate to improve their team ahead of 2022-23.
One of the main reasons for their disappointing 2021-22 season was the poor fit between LeBron James and Russell Westbrook. The latter’s inability to space the floor for the former was a consistent problem for them last season.
On the other hand, the Lakers may not want a pure floor-spacer in Westbrook’s place either. Someone who can attack closeouts and function as a secondary playmaker would ease the amount of burden that Westbrook was supposed to for James. By that logic, White could be a great fit for this roster.
Granted, he may not usurp Westbrook as the starter immediately. Furthermore, given the rocky start his career has had, he may not be the answer to all of the Lakers’ prayers either. They should still be looking to move on from Westbrook even after this acquisition of White.
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If they can, they may be acquiring a sixth man who can co-exist with their franchise player in this deal. That potential payoff is surely worth parting with a player they’ve had trouble maximizing in Horton-Tucker. Will he find more success in Chicago?
