Lakers front office officials have reportedly been working the phones to better their club ahead of the trade deadline, with Dejounte Murray and Zach LaVine being the most talked-about prospective trade targets thus far.
However, an NBA insider has advised the franchise to go in an entirely other way.
“If I’m Rob Pelinka, however, there isn’t a store with 30 guys available. However, it is not only LaVine or Dejounte Murray,” ESPN’s Tim MacMahon stated on Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective this week.
“I’m calling Charlotte, enquiring about Terry Rozier, and checking to see if he’s available at a considerably lesser cost. Because I believe that’s a guy who would provide you with a lot of what you need for a lower cost. It’s hardly a big deal, but he averages 23 points per game. Nobody knows this because the Hornets are so [awful].”
McMahon is correct that Rozier is flying under the radar in Charlotte. This is despite his career-high averages of 24 points and 6.8 assists per game.
Rozier would undoubtedly provide some much-needed shooting for the Lakers. His 37% three-point shooting rate this season is higher than all but three Lakers players, while trying 7.8 threes per game.
Rozier also averages 8.5 points per game in the fourth quarter, ranking second in the NBA behind Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Hornets guard is in his second year of a four-year, $96 million contract. He is owed $23.2 million this season, making him less than LaVine (40.1 million) but more expensive than Murray (18.2 million).
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