NBA Rumors: Russell Westbrook Is More Likely To Be Traded To The Utah Jazz Than The Indiana Pacers

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Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Lakers are having a stressful offseason with putting the final touches on a roster around LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The Lakers haven’t had much room to acquire top-tier talent and have had to make do with rotational players that will have a big role in LA. 

The Lakers can alleviate some of their roster depth issues by moving off Russell Westbrook and acquiring 2 or 3 rotational players from teams that would be willing to part with players for picks and Westbrook’s contract. 

Jovan Buha, who also reports on the Lakers for The Athletic, spoke with Michael Scotto of HoopsHype about the Westbrook trade situation. Buha let Scotto and everyone else know that only the Indiana Pacers and the Utah Jazz would be possible suitors for Westbrook. However, Buha believes the Pacers may not be as interested anymore after the Lakers already dished young prospect Talen Horton-Tucker to Utah. 

“As far as Westbrook’s trade market, I’ve heard Indiana and Utah are the two most likely destinations. I think Utah is, from what I’ve been told, more likely than Indiana. There are several permutations there with Indiana where it could be Myles Turner and Buddy Hield together or one of the two.” (h/t HoopsHype)

The Lakers are in a less-than-ideal situation with both interested teams holding them for ransom to get both picks. Utah is a more natural trade partner considering they will love to get off multiple contracts of contending players for 2 Laker picks that should have high value with the age of their current stars.

No matter how you slice it, the Lakers will only get 2 players while dealing with the Pacers. They are better off getting more of Utah’s competitive core, especially with THT not being available in a Laker trade to Indiana to boost the value. Buddy Hield and Myles Turner are also inconsistent players that lack playoff experience, so maybe Utah is the best option for LA. 

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Ishaan Bhattacharya is a content manager for Fadeaway World from New Delhi, India. With his expertise in NBA content creation, Ishaan brings a wealth of experience to his role, contributing to the site's authority and reach within the basketball community. Over the last year, Ishaan has interviewed Ray Allen and Mark Tatum, while also covering the 2023 NBA Abu Dhabi Games which saw the Dallas Mavericks take on the Minnesota Timberwolves.Since joining Fadeaway World in March 2022, Ishaan Bhattacharya has become known for his unique perspective on the NBA. He consistently delivers this insight through his daily news coverage and detailed opinion pieces on the most significant topics in the league.Before his tenure at Fadeaway World, Ishaan worked in corporate communications, where he serviced prominent sports brands, including NBA India, Sports18, Amazon Prime Sports, and Royal Challengers Bangalore. This experience in strategic communications for leading sports entities has enhanced his ability to craft impactful narratives and connect with a global audience.A true MFFLer (Mavs Fan for Life, for the uninitiated), Ishaan is a massive fan of the Dallas Mavericks. When he is not upset about Jalen Brunson walking in free agency, you can see Ishaan as an avid gamer and content creator. His passion for basketball extends beyond the Mavericks, as evidenced by his thoughtfully curated NBA Mount Rushmore, featuring LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Bill Russell—each representing distinct eras and bringing their unique qualities to the game.Featured On: ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher ReportYahoo Sports, NBA, Fox Sports, The Spun
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