Why The Los Angeles Lakers Do The Deal
On the other hand, acquiescing to Russell Westbrook may not sit well with many Lakers fans either. After all, many of them are calling for his head.
The Lakers could still look to move him this summer, but if they’re hoping to find value without attaching sweeteners to this contract, we’ve got some property on a remote island to sell them.
It isn’t happening. On the other hand, the Lakers could get real value by trading Davis. If the pieces they bring back complement Westbrook, doing so could actually improve them ahead of 2022-23 as well.
As it happens, they do. Mikal Bridges highlights this package for the Lakers. He may be the very best 3-and-D wing in the entire league. Cam Johnson won’t compete for that designation, but he is an elite floor-spacer who can handle himself on defense.
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Finally, Dario Saric gives the Lakers a player who can manage minutes at the 5 and space the floor – a prerequisite for maximizing Westbrook.
In other words, this deal does something the Lakers failed to do last summer – improve the fit of their roster.
