L.A. Lakers Trade Completed With Houston Rockets Ahead Of NBA Trade Deadline

L.A. Lakers trade rumors have finally led to some real action as the NBA trade deadline approaches. On Tuesday (Feb. 21), the Lakers traded guard Lou Williams to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Corey Brewer and a future first-round draft pick.

A report by NBA analyst Adrian Wojnarowski confirms that the deal has taken place, giving the Rockets another weapon as the team tries to secure a good seed in the 2017 NBA Playoffs. For the Lakers, this trade comes down to acquiring assets for the future. It isn’t really a salary dump, as the future earnings for both players are right about the same. Matching salaries made this an easy deal for both teams to complete.

Lou Williams is under contract through the 2017-18 NBA season, with a salary of $7 million a year. He had played 58 games for the L.A. Lakers this season, with all but one coming off the bench. Williams was averaging 24.2 minutes, 18.6 points, 3.2 assists, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game. Now he takes those offensive skills to Texas.

As for Corey Brewer, he is also under contract through the 207-18 season, with salaries of $7.6 million per season. He has also been coming off the bench, playing in all 58 games for the Houston Rockets this season. Brewer has averaged 15.9 minutes, 4.2 points, and 2.0 rebounds per game. Mostly known for his defense, Brewer could actually improve the Lakers on that end of the court.

There had been a number of L.A. Lakers trade rumors that involved Lou Williams, with several teams showing interest in acquiring the guard. The Lakers had been waiting for a first-round pick to make its way to the negotiating table and it appears that the Rockets were the first team to offer one up. There were also negotiations taking place with the New Orleans Pelicans, but no terms were reached between the two teams.

With Magic Johnson now running the show for the Lakers, one of the big questions from NBA analysts and experts on Tuesday was whether the team was going to be quiet at the trade deadline or if they were still going to make a splash. This seems to answer part of that question, as Williams was dealt mere hours after Johnson took charge. Could he have more moves planned in the short-term future of the Lakers? Is Nick Young gone next?

In the latest NBA playoff standings, the Houston Rockets are the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. At 40-18 on the season, the team is very close to clinching a spot in the 2017 NBA Playoffs. The Rockets also trail the San Antonio Spurs by four games in the Southwest Division. With the acquisition of Williams, it appears that the Rockets are interested in possibly moving up in the NBA standings. He certainly gives the team another good weapon.

Williams shoots 38.6 percent from three-point range and averaged 5.4 three-point attempts per game with the Lakers. He is not shy about putting up shots and that could be a huge deal for the Rockets. With starting point guard James Harden facilitating the offense for the team, Williams could actually see a bump in usage. Fantasy basketball owners might not lose as much in this deal as was feared because he was certainly putting up big numbers for the Lakers this season.

There have been rumors about the Lakers making moves nearly all season, linking the team to players like DeMarcus Cousins of the Sacramento Kings, Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks, Jimmy Butler of the Chicago Bulls, and Jahlil Okafor of the Philadelphia 76ers. The team finally made a move that could help for the future, especially since it will give the Lakers another first-round draft pick. While it won’t make a splash as big as some of the previous L.A. Lakers trade rumors had advertised, Corey Brewer might just be a great addition for the 2017-18 NBA season.

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