Rob Pannell is one of the greatest attackmen ever to play lacrosse. The 11-time All-Star has amassed more than 600 points in his career and is regarded as the best X attackman of all time. 

But now the former All-Pro is stuck on a struggling 2-6 California Redwoods team that probably won’t make the playoffs. Pannell has won one championship in his professional career, and as his tenure winds down, he surely wants to add another. 

That’s where the hypothetical “Should Rob Pannell be traded?” question and the Carolina Chaos -- and their head coach and general manager Andy Towers -- come into play. 

Pannell, a Cornell graduate, used to play against Dartmouth teams coached by Towers. It was during those Dartmouth-Cornell games that Towers learned about Pannell's game.

Even though the Chaos scored 15 goals against the Archers on Sunday, their main concern all season has been the offense's ability to put the ball in the net. Carolina is tied for second-to-last in the PLL in total scores.

The Chaos started the season with a two-handed dodging offense, but it failed to produce the desired results, necessitating a switch back to pairs offense. A lack of consistency was a main factor in the switch.

If you are a team looking to add consistency on offense, there’s no better place to look than a guy with 320 goals and 281 assists. RP3 is a quarterback at X who can control the Chaos offense while still allowing Josh Byrne to get 40 touches a game. 

Byrne has been the best feeder on the Chaos all season, but Byrne getting fed by Pannell to open up his goal-scoring game would make Carolina a frightening team to play against. It would also allow them to go back to the two-handed dodging offense that Towers wanted to implement to start the year.

With the trade deadline approaching on Aug. 13, there’s no better time than now to make a deal so a player can get a few games in with his new club before the playoffs.

Acquiring the 34-year-old Pannell would cost the Chaos some capital and depth. Here’s what I think a hypothetical trade package could look like:

Option 1: Brian Minicus, a 2025 second-round pick and a 2026 third-round pick

Option 2: Eric Dobson, a 2025 third-round pick and a 2026 third-round pick

I think Minicus goes on the board as a tradable asset because he’s been moved from his rookie X attack role to the midfield and hasn’t had the touches to provide a true spark to the offense. Minicus could move down low for the Redwoods and play X or could run out of the box if the trade were to happen. 

Redwoods head coach and general manager Nat St. Laurent loves having draft capital, and Pannell would never go in a player-for-player swap, so it makes sense to add the picks. 

Like the Chaos, the Redwoods have struggled on offense all year and need help scoring. That’s why I added a second option for the trade. 

Dobson, a second-round rookie, has struggled to break out of his shell despite a few solid moments thus far in his early PLL career. California’s offensive midfield room features plenty of big, powerful dodgers, and combining the 6-foot-5, 235-pound Dobson into that group would give defenses nightmares. 

Similar to Option 1, I added draft capital into the trade for the same reasons. I considered adding Ross Scott, but his rookie season has been promising, and he could be the X attackman of the future for Carolina. 

Do I think a Pannell trade is really going to happen? No, and that’s not a bad thing. 

Towers is very loyal to his players and the team that he has each year. Minicus and Dobson would be logical trade candidates, but Towers has only raved about both players. 

After the offensive explosion against Utah, Towers was proud of his offense and alluded to his “confidence” in the entire team. 

“That was the best game that we played all season long at both ends,” Towers said. “We have a shot at winning the [conference]. But the goal for us throughout the season is continue to improve, continue to get better.”

It’s true: The message all season has been about getting better each week, and the Chaos may be peaking at the right time. 

A trade could sit the wrong way with the team, even if it was for a legend of the game like Pannell. 

It would be fun to watch this hypothetical pan out and see Pannell win a championship with the Chaos and Towers. However, on the heels of Carolina’s best performance, and with the team finding its stride and looking ready to peak during playoffs, now might not be the best time for a move.