The Los Angeles Lakers might be getting ready for a big move in the next couple of months. Recently, it was reported that the purple and gold are expected to have an active trade deadline trying to make some changes ahead of the end of the regular season and presumably the playoffs.
Even though this report says a Russell Westbrook trade isn’t expected from the Lakers, nobody can rule out that the 17-time NBA champions decide to move the 2017 NBA MVP at the trade deadline.
After the Houston Rockets and John Wall mutually agreed to find a trade for the veteran player, he hasn’t played a game for them. He’s been sitting out in favor of Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr., which could open the door for a deal between Houston and Los Angeles.
According to former Dallas Mavericks executive Haralabos Voulgaris, the Lakers could be a landing spot for Wall. Talking with Bill Simmons on his podcast, Voulgaris didn’t rule out a move for the Lakers, as they are a team likely to make these big moves.
While Bill Simmons said the Minnesota Timberwolves look like the only team that can get Wall, the former executive had another idea.
Via Heavy:
“I’m giving you the only team [Timberwolves], this is it we have no other teams unless it’s Lakers’ Westbrook for Wall yet again,” Simmons said during the November 24 episode.
“I mean, never underestimate the Lakers’ ability to make a trade that people think no one else would make,” Voulgaris responded. “They’re definitely the team that does that. They make it happen.”
Something to have in mind here is that Wall and Westbrook have similar contracts. Wall’s salary is $44.3 million this season and his contract is set to finish after the 2022/23 season. Westbrook has a $44.2 million salary for 2021-22, and his contract is set to end in 2023, too.
If the Lakers want a different type of player, it’s unclear if Wall fits that description. He’s not a shooter and has a similar style of play to Westbrook. Then again, they already made a curious move in the summer when they pulled the trigger on the blockbuster deal that brought Russ to Los Angeles.
Perhaps the 2022 trade deadline will save a big surprise for you, and the Lakers decide to move on from the Westbrook experiment. Time will tell how this plays out, but as the days go by, more people are convinced the Lakers are better off without Westbrook.
