PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – OCTOBER 12: Terry Rozier #3 of the Charlotte Hornets looks on during the first quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center on October 12, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
The Lakers desperately need to upgrade LeBron James’ supporting cast and adding Terry Rozier to the mix would do just that.
The Lakers‘ ugly start to the season has fans in Los Angeles desperately to see the franchise’s front office shake things up around LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Finding a guard who can hit perimeter shots and shoulder some of the playmaking burden would be a dream come true for the high-profile Western Conference side.
That’s why it makes total sense for the Lakers to be interested in finding out what it might take to pry Terry Rozier away from the Hornets. He wouldn’t give head coach Darvis Ham a third superstar to work with on a nightly basis, but Rozier would be a major upgrade over the dead weight known as Russell Westbrook.
Lakers trade rumors are going to include every available point guard
The current Hornets’ guard is a high-quality 3-point marksman who can make long-distance shots both off the catch and dribble. He could come in and handle some of the mundane point guard responsibilities while giving the Lakers’ half-court offense an immediate boost in terms of spacing.
The problem the Lakers face when it comes to any potential trade this season is that their roster is bereft of assets that will appeal to other teams. The Hornets aren’t going to take Westbrook and his massive salary off of Los Angeles’ hands unless the Lakers are willing to give up all their available draft assets and accept salary flotsam in return. Rozier is too good of a player to be involved in that sort of salary dump.
Instead, the only real way the Lakers can swing a deal for a player like Rozier is to package draft assets with some decent players on their current roster. Swapping Rozier for Patrick Beverly and Kendrick Nunn works from a financial perspective, but Charlotte might require a first-rounder to give up one of their best players in exchange for a pair of middling assets. The Lakers are so thin on the perimeter that losing both Nunn and Beverly might cost them too much depth even if they could land a clear upgrade to the starting five in the process.
In the end, the Lakers will struggle to extricate themselves from the roster prison of their own making this season. Expect to see lots of reports linking them to a number of veterans this year, but the chances of them actually making a big deal without sacrificing major draft capital are quite low.