Brian Windhorst suggests Terry Rozier as potential Lakers trade target

Charlotte Hornets guard Terry Rozier.

The Los Angeles Lakers are expected to make a move before the Feb. 8 trade deadline. Their roster has struggled to build on their Western Conference Finals appearance last season. In typical Lakers fashion, the franchise has been linked to every big name that’s reportedly on the trade market.

However, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst believes Rob Pelinka should take a look at a player he was interested in last year, Terry Rozier. His comments came via the “Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective” podcast.

“I’m calling Charlotte, I’m inquiring about Terry Rozier, I’m at least checking to see if he might be available at a significantly lower cost,” Windhorst said. “Because I think that that’s a guy who would give you a lot of the stuff you need and wouldn’t cost you as much. It’s not the big splash, although he is averaging 23 points per game. Just nobody knows that because the Hornets are so [bad].”

Pelinka has long held an interest in Rozier. Marc Stein reported the Lakers’ interest in the Hornets guard back in October of 2022, long before they ended up adding D’Angelo Russell at the trade deadline last season.

“The Lakers’ interest in Charlotte’s Terry Rozier as a potential headliner in a Russell Westbrook trade is not new,” Stein reported. “You’ll recall that this Substack has been writing since April about L.A.’s fondness for the former Celtic in potential Westbrook-centric trade discussions with Charlotte.”

Rozier is having a strong season with the Hornets. He’s currently averaging 24 points, 3.8 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game, shooting 45.7% from the field and 36.9% from three-point range. He is currently in the second yard of a four-year $96M deal, earning an average of $24 million per season.

Rozier has also proven he can be a secondary and tertiary option during his time with the Hornets. He has often played behind LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward in Charlotte’s hierarchy and still finds ways to be a positive influence on the team.

Nevertheless, a potential move for Rozier would likely spell the end of Russell’s second tenure with the Lakers. Pelinka would likely want to move on from the veteran guard before bringing in Rozier to avoid a logjam. Still, Rozier would be an ideal fit next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis. He has proven he can play next to stars without stealing their shine, and he provides production on both sides of the court.

Figuring out what it would take to pry him from the Hornets could be difficult, though. Rozier has been solid insurance for whenever Ball has been out with injury. Fortunately for Pelinka, the Lakers have lots of young talent to offer, and that could be enough to get Mitch Kupchak and the Hornets front office to pick up the phone.

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