This trade of course is predicated on the assumption the Wiz know this team won't win a championship, and rather than waiting to rebuild they get to work right now.
Why do it? Well, Russ has huge value still so they could get some decent roll players from the Lakers in the trade. Kuzma might be upset with his status and role in LA La Land and may have signaled (passive aggressively) his desire to get a divorce from the Lakers squad in his IG account. If the Lakers are truly having some potential issues with him behind the scenes, and they could swing a deal to land themselves another star, it seems they would jump at the chance.
Kuzma: Stretch 3/4 maybe 5: The league is playing smaller, the Wiz could run Kuzma for extended minutes anywhere between the 3-5 positions. He has to get better on defense and more reliable offense, but if Kuzma is looking for playing time, the Wiz could certainly provide it. He's a talented player that has shown sines of getting it done on the court, but his consistency has been an issue. At 6'10", he's big enough to play 3 positions on the court, fast enough to keep up, but he must play smarter if he wants to make it in the NBA. Kuzma has a couple of years before he really hits his prime, this is his chance to get some minutes, develop, and hit the big contract he's looking for.
Schroder: Functional PG: We all know Schroder isn't a Allstar guard, but he isn't bad either. Will he fill the role of Westbrook? No, but can he give them some solid minutes and scoring, yes. They may be able to flip him for some picks or pair him in a trade for another player. To add a little boost, Schroder is just entering his prime, and has 3-5 years of his best basketball ahead of him. He showed signs in ATL of being a stud, but as we all know by know, it's hard to play PG on a LBJ led team. Schroder could be a better player than we realize.
Caldwell-Pope: Salary Balance: Not much to look forward to here, but let's be frank, they need his salary to finish this deal. A couple of draft picks from the Lakers could offset having to take on Caldwell-Pope. He might be able to offer this squad some veteran help and a little 3 and D on the wing, but Pope has never demonstrated he can be a leader or a full-time contributor on any team he has played for.
Harrell: Solid Center: Small ball and Harrell go hand in hand, and there is no reason to think he can't contribute to the Wiz right away. He's a solid veteran, a bruiser, and has shown signs of being a solid on the court contributor. In fact, in 2019 (his final season with the Clips) Harrell was only playing 27 min a game but had his highest scoring output of his career at just over 18ppg. He also notched his highest RPG at 7.1. Again, it seems as though many of these players suffer in King James led rosters, but remove the king, and suddenly these guys have room to make things happen again. The hitch, Harrell has a player option he would have to be willing to pick up to be traded to a team who likely will not contend for a championship. However, one good season could net him a pretty hefty payday on his next, and possibly final, major contract.
This trade would net the Wiz 4 players in their prime, 3 of which could be solid immediate contributors, through in some draft picks to make the deal more tasty, and the Lakers get their big 3, and the Wiz take a step toward rebuilding without destroying the team.