Imagine that. The Los Angeles Lakers are already having discussions about trading Russell Westbrook just months after acquiring him from the Washington Wizards.
Westbrook just has not been a good fit with the likes of LeBron James and Anthony Davis in Southern California.
While he’s putting up some good numbers this season, Westbrook’s player option for the 2021-22 season ($47.06 million) is an issue. Couple that with regression on the former MVP’s part, and it’s unlikely the Lakers are going to get a ton of value in return. It’s in this that we look at three ideal Russell Westbrook trade scenarios from the Lakers.
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Russell Westbrook trade to the Cleveland Cavaliers
- Cavaliers get: Russell Westbrook, future first-round pick, future second-round pick
- Lakers get: Ricky Rubio, Kevin Love
Boasting a surprising 17-12 record on the season, there’s a chance the Cavaliers might make a win-now move ahead of February’s NBA trade deadline. “Veterans” such as Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen and Lauri Markkanen have been absolutely great for the ascending team. Meanwhile, Evan Mobley is one of the top NBA Rookie of the Year candidates.
By making this move, the Cavaliers would be picking up salary for the 2022-23 season while adding two future draft picks that could be used to acquire more star power. A starting five of Westbrook, Garland, Markkanen, Allen and Mobley could potentially compete back east.
For the Lakers, it’s all about adding two veteran rotational players to the mix while shedding future salary. Rubio is playing especially well this season, averaging 12.8 points and 6.3 assists. He’d be a better fit in the Lakers’ half-court system than Russ. As for Love, he’d give them a veteran presence off the bench and reunite the big man with King James.
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Russell Westbrook trade to the Sacramento Kings
- Kings get: Russell Westbrook, future first-round pick, two future second-round picks
- Lakers get: Marvin Bagley, Buddy Hield, Tristan Thompson
There’s no telling what Kings general manager Monte McNair is going to do moving forward after firing head coach Luke Walton. There’s suggestions that Sacramento might simply blow it up again with the team having not made the playoff since 2005-06. If that is indeed the case, some outside the box thinking will be needed.
This scenario includes getting rid of three players who don’t fit into Sacramento’s long-term plans. The team could then either simply buyout Westbrook or wait until next season and see if his expiring contract offers value. In the process, these Kings pick up three valuable future draft picks as a way to rebuild for the future.
Would moving off Westbrook for three potential rotational pieces make sense for the Lakers? We’re at the point that this might actually work. Los Angeles was interested in Hield before acquiring Westbrook during the summer. He offers that three-point ability (40% career shooter) the Lakers are desperately missing. Bagley still boasts tremendous upside while Thompson would be a solid big man off the bench moving forward. It would also save the Lakers a good $25 million against the cap for the summer.
Russell Westbrook trade to the Philadelphia 76ers
- 76ers get: Russell Westbrook, Austin Reaves, two first-round picks, three second-round picks
- Lakers get: Ben Simmons
Los Angeles has been linked to Simmons in trade rumors with talks heating up surrounding the three-time All-Star point guard. Though, there’s some concern here from a fit standpoint. The Lakers already have issues with spacing and three-point shooting. That’s been one of Simmons’ biggest downfalls since he entered the NBA.
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What we do know is that a trio of Simmons, LeBron James and AD would create one of the best defenses in the NBA. If the Lakers can find shooting on the buyout market or with a smaller trade, this could make sense for them.
A potential acquisition of Westbrook would be two-fold for Philadelphia. First off, he might actually be a better fit with Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris. Despite shooting issues, he’s a much better scorer than Simmons. Secondly, acquiring five draft picks to pick up Westbrook’s contract could set up a huge trade down the road for someone like Damian Lillard. It’s a forward-thinking mentality that has come to define Philadelphia front office head Daryl Morey’s tenure in the Association.