Trade Grades: Lakers Conclude Turbulent Day By Trading Lou Williams To The Rockets

The Lakers concluded one of their most turbulent days in recent memory by trading guard Lou Williams to the Rockets for forward Corey Brewer and a 2017 first-round pick, according to Yahoo Sports and ESPN.com.

After firing longtime GM Mitch Kupchak, stripping executive Jim Buss of his power, turning over the keys to Magic Johnson, and reportedly agreeing to hire super-agent Rob Pelinka as Kupchak’s replacement, LA made a move for the future by trading Williams, a strong candidate for the 2017 Sixth Man of the Year award.

Let’s grade the trade.

Lakers: A-

Williams was one of the most obvious trade chips in the league given his strong play this season, his clear fit as a leading scorer on a second unit, his reasonable contract, his playoff experience, and his utter uselessness to the Lakers, a rebuilding team that should be going all out to tank down the stretch.

Really, Williams was worse than useless in LA, he was counterproductive. Every foul he drew, every four-point play he converted, and every 20-point outburst increased the chances that the Lakers don’t retain their top-3 protected first-round pick. This year, Williams is averaging a career-best 18.6 PPG and shooting a career-high 38.6% on threes, and the Lakers’ offensive efficiency rating has jumped from 98.9 to 108 when he’s been on the court. Showcasing him worked perfectly, and now it’s time for the Lakers to move forward.

NBA

Jeanie Turns To Magic, But Lakers' Rebuild Will Take Time

Cashing out on Williams accomplishes three goals: it delivers a first-round pick (which should land somewhere around No. 25), it helps the Lakes keep their own pick in a draft with major difference-makers like Markelle Fultz and UCLA’s Lonzo Ball at the top, and it opens up even more minutes and shots for 2015 lottery pick D’Angelo Russell, who hasn’t demonstrated major progress in his second season. Even though he’s still only 20, Russell (14.2 PPG, 26.5 MPG) is rapidly approaching sink-or-swim time and deserves a looser leash down the stretch of an already-lost season.

This move is less about the meh return package—the Lakers added salary, Brewer doesn’t really help, and the pick isn’t anything to write home about—and more about playing the tank game. Yes, that’s always a tough sell for a high-profile franchise like the Lakers, who are stuck in their fourth straight year of abysmal losing after failing to sustain a hot start to 2016-17 that briefly raised expectations. Nevertheless, tanking is clearly the best option given that Russell hasn’t yet blossomed, Julius Randle probably isn’t going to develop into a star-level player, and 2016 lottery pick Brandon Ingram, while promising, is still a few years away from being a franchise player.

As it stands, the Lakers should do everything within their power to outrace the Suns to the bottom of the West standings to capture the No. 2 spot in the draft lottery order. If that approach ultimately lands Ball, for example, the Johnson Era will be off to a strong start. The alternative universe—where the Lakers held on to Williams and put their pick into greater jeopardy than necessary—would have been an abomination.

The Source >> http://www.si.com/nba/2017/02/21/lou-williams-lakers-rockets-trade-grades