The Los Angeles Lakers find themselves in a very similar position to where they were last year. Yes, their start to the 2022-23 season was even more disastrous. But their mounting desperation when it comes to righting the ship is reminiscent to the sense of urgency they had last year. Following their 110-96 loss to the Jimmy Butler-less Miami Heat on Wednesday night, the Lakers now find themselves below .500., and at the moment, there are no easy answers for a team riddled with issues from top-to-bottom.
The Lakers, however, can rest a bit easy knowing that the trades they pulled off prior to the 2023 deadline helped transform them and push them to a run to the Western Conference Finals. But can the Lakers strike lightning in a bottle twice? If not, some executives believe that they could end up pulling a desperation move for veteran forward Gordon Hayward, as pointed out by Sean Deveney of Heavy.com.
One league executive noted that Hayward, due to his injury-proneness and $31.5 million salary for the season, could come cheap in a trade with the Charlotte Hornets — which is exactly the kind of asset the Lakers need.
“I don’t think he is a guy you have to give up a first-rounder for. And that’s what they need. Someone who’s gonna help but not mortgage the future. It’s a desperate move but, so what? Look at their record,” the executive told Heavy.com.
Given the other names linked to the Lakers, trading for Gordon Hayward feels like the very definition of settling. Dejounte Murray and Zach LaVine are major upgrades whom the Lakers can realistically target, while there's always the option for them to pursue a trade for old pal Kyle Kuzma.
Hayward, at the moment, is out for the Hornets with a calf injury. Such is the story of Hayward's career with the Hornets. He has not played in over 50 games for the franchise in his previous three seasons, and now, there's no reason for Charlotte to rush him back in his injury recovery.
The Lakers need a bit of security when trading for a player with a huge salary, so Gordon Hayward is far from the ideal fit for the team. Perhaps the Lakers revisit the idea of acquiring Hayward if they fail to swing a blockbuster deal for Zach LaVine or Dejounte Murray, or if Hayward ends up on the buyout market.
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