Charlotte should be in a 1 year rebuild right now. They had a rough off-season with Miles Bridges situation and LaMelo Ball getting hurt right before the season started. Having another losing year may be tough for Charlotte, but this couldn’t have happened in a better year. Victor Wembanyama is a generational prospect, and he is in the 2023 Draft Class. Charlotte should be doing everything in their power to be able to have a chance at Wembanyama. That is the main reason for this trade. Charlotte is moving on from two better players and receive Russell Westbrook (Will be waived after the trade) and both of the highly coveted Lakers picks. This sets off a full 1 year rebuild for the Hornets as they try to tank for Victor Wembanyama.

Los Angeles needs to give in and trade Russ plus their 2 picks. Russell Westbrook is a clear negative to the Lakers and I don’t see anything changing that. There are a couple different options out there, but this one is the most interesting. Terry Rozier and Gordon Hayward are both solid starters who would be a significantly better fit in Los Angeles than Russell Westbrook. They both could slide into the starting lineup and help LA climb out of this massive hole they’ve dug.