While most NBA analysts view the trade that sent Roy Hibbert to Los Angeles Lakers as a salary dump move by the Indiana Pacers, Lakers top executive Jim Buss believes that particular transaction has given them a potential cornerstone at the center position.
Buss, the Lakers Executive President of Basketball Operation, didn't mince words in saying that Hibbert has the tools to become a cornerstone alongside its young players like Jordan Clarkson, D'Angelo Russell and Julius Randle.
The Lakers honcho stressed this point in an exclusive interview with Eric Pincus of Los Angeles Times, talking about the Lakers struggle the past two seasons, Kobe Bryant's retirement, and the team's bright future with its young core.
"It's just that it takes time to build a core that guys want to play with. I understand a superstar doesn't want to come in and say, 'Oh, we still have two or three years of rebuilding.' I think with Jordan Clarkson, Russell, Randle, even Hibbert ... we're getting a core of seven or eight players," Buss told the L.A Times.
Hibbert might be coming off subpar seasons with the Pacers, but Buss is optimistic that the two-time NBA All-Star will have a bounce-back year this coming campaign and eventually become one of its 8 core players for the next five years.
Indeed, Hibbert will be entering the 2015-16 season with a ton of pressure as he tries to recover from a one and half season slump. After anchoring the Pacers' vaunted defense, his play surprisingly regressed in the second half of the 2013-14 season.
His struggle continued for the entirety of the 2014-15 season, as he averaged 10.6 points on 44 percent shooting with 7.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. Looking to shift to a more fast-paced offense, the Pacers then decided to trade Hibbert for a future second-round pick.
The 28-year old center will earn roughly $15 million in his final contract year. With NBA salaries expected to explode next summer, a big year for Hibbert could earn him a contract worth $20 million per year, considering how lean the market will be for centers.