Who Did The Lakers Trade Elden Campbell For? A Look At The Trade

On March 10, 1999, the Lakers traded Elden Campbell and Eddie Jones to the Charlotte Hornets for Glen Rice, J.R. Reid, and B.J. Armstrong.

This trade was a significant moment in Lakers history. The team was looking to shake things up after a disappointing season, and they believed that Rice, a proven scorer, could help them contend for a championship. Campbell and Jones were both key players for the Lakers, but they were also both coming off of injury-plagued seasons. The Lakers felt that it was time to move on from them and build a new team around Rice and the young core of Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, and Derek Fisher.

The trade was met with mixed reactions from fans and media alike. Some felt that the Lakers had given up too much for Rice, while others felt that he was exactly what the team needed. Ultimately, the trade did not work out as well as the Lakers had hoped. Rice played just one season with the Lakers before being traded to the New York Knicks, and the team did not reach the NBA Finals until the following year. However, this trade was a big stepping stone toward the Lakers’ dominance in the early 2000s. The Lakers’ decision to part ways with Campbell and Jones ultimately allowed them to build a championship-winning team.