A giant trade proposal has the Los Angeles Lakers landing a standout veteran guard to complete the big three with LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
The Lakers entered the 2023 postseason as a No. 7 seed but took down the Memphis Grizzlies and defending champion Golden State Warriors to reach the Western Conference Finals. There, however, they were swept by the eventual champion Denver Nuggets.
It was evident in the loss to Denver that the Lakers need a third star to help the super tandem of James and Davis. At NBA Analysis Network, James Piercey proposed a blockbuster trade that lands the Lakers the playmaking point guard they desperately need.
Piercey proposed a deal that has the Lakers’ landing Charlotte Hornets guard Terry Rozier in exchange for Taurean Prince and D’Angelo Russell:
“They’re getting the best player in this deal. Moreover, he’s the type of player who’s thrived alongside James before.
We’ve seen him succeed with score-first guards. If you can space the floor and create your own shot, you can thrive in a James-led system. Rozier ticks those boxes. The Lakers can’t make this move immediately. They just extended D’Angelo Russell, so they need to wait until the trade deadline to move him. That’s perfect.
If the Lakers are having a strong season, they may not want to rock the boat. On the other hand, if they’ve got room for improvement, they may benefit from sending the Hornets their new backup point guard.”
Rozier was once among the better backup point guards in the league behind Kyrie Irving in Boston. But Rozier left the Celtics in 2019 to sign with the Hornets, where he was guaranteed a starting role that he’s excelled in.
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Through four seasons in Charlotte, Rozier has averaged 19.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. In 2022-23, he averaged a career-high 21.1 points per game while shooting 41.5 percent from the field.
The LA offense will always run through James and Davis, but the need for a playmaking guard has been evident since their 2020 championship in the Orlando Bubble. Adding a player of Rozier’s caliber might be the move that helps the Lakers claim another title before their window closes
