Terry Rozier to Clippers? Lakers rivals discuss strengthening point guard position

Terry Rozier could be on his way to the Los Angeles Clippers according to Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix.

One of the major weamknesses in the Clippers’ roster was the absence of a true point guard during their 2019-20 season. They fell short of creativity and offense during the second halves of their 3 successive defeats to the Nuggets in the second round. This is an area they need to shore up.

Also Read: ‘Russell Westbrook is not a priority for the New York Knicks’- Conflicting reports say Knicks might not want the Houston All-Star

The Charlotte Hornets signed Rozier to a 3-year, $57 million deal last offseason. This means the former Boston guard will not come cheap for the Celtics, who might have to trade Lou Williams or Patrick Beverley to accommodate him.

Terry Rozier to Clippers: How legitimate could this trade rumor be?

Rozier is more of a scoring guard than a playmaker. During his time with the Celtics, Rozier had some good playoff performances, but never really showcased an appetite as a facilitator. Most of that was done by the likes of Marcus Smart and Kyrie Irving.

This rumor seems mainly to have emerged in response to the Hornets drafting 19-year-old LaMelo Ball. The 6’7″ guard was handpicked by Michael Jordan, and is likely to be given the keys to the Hornets’ offense. This would marginalize Rozier’s role in the team, resulting in him wanting away from the Hornets.

Rozier, like LaMelo, is signed to Puma with a shoe deal. There is bound to be some deal of competitive acrimony in that regard as well.

But the Clippers stand to gain little by trading for the diminutive guard, who’s only 6’2″ in height. In the 2018 Eastern Conference Finals, LeBron routinely got switches on to Rozier in order to bully his way to the rim. The Clippers are unlikely to want to present another obvious target for James in the platform.

All in all, there seems to be too much smoke and too little substance to this particular rumor. We may have to wait out a few days in the transaction window to see if it does take place, but it looks unlikely on the face of it.