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Teams are scrambling to make moves before Thursday’s trade deadline, and former Florida Gators star Corey Brewer was caught in the middle of it.
The Los Angeles Lakers announced a trade with the Houston Rockets that would send veteran guard Lou Williams to the Rockets in exchange for Brewer and an unprotected first-round pick.
Lakers Making Moves
This could be the start of a flurry of moves made by new Lakers President of Basketball Operations Magic Johnson. In addition to the trade, the Lakers also fired general manager Mitch Kupchak. When asked about moves the Lakers could make as the trade deadline looms near, Johnson said they knew what they were looking for.
This move is looked at as a way to build the Lakers for the future. The Lakers are currently sitting at 19-39, and are in the thick of the lottery pick race. In offloading six man Lou Williams, the Lakers are now able to gain another first-round pick in a loaded draft class. The move pushes Houston out of the first round, but they do have two second-round picks in this draft.
Brewer’s Struggles
Corey Brewer has not played up to expectations this season, being held scoreless in 13 games this season while averaging a career-low 4.2 points per game. Brewer is under contract until next season for $7.2 million. Brewer thanked the Rockets Organization and city of Houston in a tweet last night.
— Corey Brewer (@TheCoreyBrewer) February 22, 2017
Rockets’ Playoff Push
The Rockets hope that Williams is the piece they need to advance far into the postseason. The Rockets are currently third in the West with a record of 40-18.
Williams is averaging a career-best 18.6 points per game, which is a league best in off-the-bench scoring. The move pairs him with Rockets guard Eric Gordon, who is second in the league in scoring off the bench.
