The Los Angeles Lakers have been eliminated in the first round this season due to the stellar play of Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns. This season has been a tough one for the Lakers, as they have struggled with injuries all season. The injury woes definitely played a part in their defeat.
There are many analysts that have suggested that the Los Angeles Lakers may make a trade to make their roster more competitive. A trade scenario by Greg Swartz featured the Los Angeles Lakers sending out 5 players in order to get Russell Westbrook.
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Russell Westbrook
Washington Wizards Receive: Montrezl Harrell, Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, 2023 second-round pick, 2024 second-round pick
Seeing Russell Westbrook on the Los Angeles Lakers would certainly be interesting, as that would give the Lakers three stars that they could potentially build around. Here is what Swartz had to say about the proposal.
With little to trade in terms of draft picks and young talent, the Lakers need to be eyeing overpaid stars on teams looking for salary relief instead.
Westbrook is still one of the league’s most devastating forces, especially when he’s taking smart shots and limiting his turnovers. He led the NBA with 11.7 assists per game this season, pulling down a career-high 11.5 rebounds and scoring 22.2 points a night.
A healthy LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Westbrook together should firmly be back in the hunt for the 2022 title and trading for the 2017 MVP would mean not having to pay Dennis Schroder this summer.
If Washington ends up trading Bradley Beal before he hits free agency next summer, there’s no reason to keep Westbrook around.
Getting off his two-year, $91.2 million deal would be a nice relief, especially if broken down into three more manageable contracts.
Kuzma looked better all-around this year in the regular season, and Harrell (who’d have to pick up his $9.7 million player option) forms a nice center rotation with Daniel Gafford.
Washington also gets a pair of second-round picks while getting off Westbrook’s contract, the main goal here.
It looks as though the appeal is there for both teams, but also for Westbrook too. The Wizards get a solid enough trade package, the Lakers get their third star, and Russell Westbrook gets a chance to compete for the championships. While this is only a scenario, this could potentially be a trade that benefits everyone.
