All the reports in recent times have been pointing towards the fact that Russell Westbrook will stay with the Los Angeles Lakers for next season despite having dealt with a lot of issues since joining ahead of this season. However, this is not to say that he wouldn’t be moved on if the Lakers can find a suitable upgrade in the guard position; Westbrook is likely far from being untouchable.
And while finding a trade for him with his salary has been an issue, it’s definitely within the realms of possibility that a team could take Westbrook’s massive salary, considering that he has just 1 year left on his deal. And speaking with Kevin O’Connor on his podcast, Bill Simmons discussed a trade for Westbrook that would send him back to the franchise that saw his best years while getting Irving to the Lakers.
“Ringer founder Bill Simmons said on his podcast on Thursday: ‘You have to move on from Kyrie if you’re the Nets. You cannot bring him back; you have to sign and trade him.’ Simmons also said earlier in the week that ‘there is some Lakers buzz with him [Kyrie].’
“Simmons’ guest on the show was NBA Insider Kevin O’Connor. ‘There’s a lot of noise out there about what could happen with the Nets,’ But the salient question ended up being, ‘Who else is going to want Kyrie besides the Lakers?’
“A possible trade destination discussed was Irving in a three-team deal where Irving ended up in LA. Russell Westbrook goes somewhere with cap room (the Thunder would make sense). The Nets would get two Lakers first-round picks (likely more, too) and, most importantly, a $40 million trade exception.”
This trade would work out well for both the Lakers and the Nets, the Lakers would have Irving while the Nets would get the assets to chase another star to play alongside Kevin Durant. It’s hard to say whether Oklahoma City would be willing to do this, but the thought of getting back one of the franchise’s most legendary players on an expiring deal could prove to be a very tantalizing one.
