Lakers News: How The Promise Of Victor Wembanyama Could Indirectly Help The Lakers This Season
Even though Victor Wembanyama's chances of becoming a Los Angeles Laker anytime soon are essentially non-existent (even if L.A. were to tank this year, they would still have to swap their draft pick with the New Orleans Pelicans, provided it was better). But the anticipated top pick in the 2023 NBA draft could still help Los Angeles -- albeit indirectly.
Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register thinks that a massive push to be bad enough for a realistic shot at drafting the otherworldly 7'4" 18-year-old prospect could result in something of a fire sale for the league's worst teams -- and the clubs that could be one injury away from qualifying for that distinction.
Oodles of franchises could be desperate to offload veteran assets in a bid for badness as the trade deadline nears. For now, the Utah Jazz and the San Antonio Spurs are already in the midst of full-fledged roster tanks, having ditched three All-Stars between them, plus several vets.
Your Los Angeles Lakers are clearly looking to trade underwhelming point guard Russell Westbrook's expiring $47.1 million contract, and may be amenable to including quite the trade carrot (future first-round picks in 2027 and 2029) to make that happen. L.A., rather unsubtly, added two solid veteran point guards this summer in Patrick Beverly and Dennis Schröder. Kendrick Nunn, who missed all of 2021-22 with a bone bruise, also has played the majority of his NBA minutes as a starting point guard. Point being, Los Angeles is ready to roll without Russ.
With several NBA franchises poised to slump for the French would-be superstar, Los Angeles may be able to find some previously-unexpected teams who become newly desperate to take on the Westbrook contract, and at least one future pick, for a crack at the 2023 No. 1 draft pick.
The Charlotte Hornets, who will most likely be without second-best player Miles Bridges as he deals with off-court issues, could look to move the $30.1 million contract of forward Gordon Hayward, who when healthy is still a useful player. He's signed on through the 2024 season, which may limit his appeal for Los Angeles. The Indiana Pacers are going to be bad, but may not be quite bad enough to really boost those lottery odds -- unless they trade Myles Turner and Buddy Hield. Draft pick issues apparently killed a potential trade with the Pacers last month, but now, with Wembanyama and presumed No. 2 pick Scoot Henderson looking so appetizing, perhaps Indiana accepts, say, one future first and a pick swap.
The Oklahoma City Thunder do have one star piece who seems close to aging out of rebuild mode in 6'6" guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Whether they'd surrender him at all (he is just 24) or at least for anything less than both Lakers first-rounders, sans protections, remains to be seen. Clubs like the Sacramento Kings, New York Knicks and Washington Wizards could have the assets to make a deal if they wanted to, but appear to be desperate to get the No. 10 seed and a play-in tournament berth instead, for some reason. That could certainly change later in the season. Last season, the Portland Trail Blazers opted to tank when star point guard Damian Lillard got hurt. The team eventually nabbed the No. 7 pick in the 2022 draft for its efforts. Would it be willing to do that again?
A team like the Houston Rockets, which went 20-62 last year and wound up with the third pick in this year's draft, already shipped out probably their best current player, Christian Wood, to the Dallas Mavericks over the summer. The Rockets could package semi-pricey veterans Eric Gordon (on an expiring $19.6 million deal) and Derrick Favors (currently netting $10.2 million) to get a bit worse, although they'd have a hard time reaching a number that could work for a Westbrook deal.
If a superstar on another one-star team (the Dallas Mavericks, perhaps?) does get hurt this year, maybe there will be some additional suitors. Suddenly, it's looking like the Lakers front office's decision to not trade for Turner and Hield at the price Indiana wanted (both future firsts) may have been the right call.
