It is presumed that the Los Angeles Lakers will at least attempt to trade Russell Westbrook this offseason, and they will want to get some type of decent value in return for him.
Any trade involving him will not be simple, due to the $47 million he will be owed next season and the perception that his value as a player has seriously declined.
But it appears the Lakers will impose a restriction on themselves as well, which would lower the chances of consummating a deal even more.
Via Lakers Daily:
“Yet it has since been conveyed to me that the Lakers have more boundaries than advertised when it comes to weighing Westbrook trades,” wrote NBA insider Marc Stein. “One league source said that injury histories would be a prime consideration in any deal, given how injuries have so routinely intruded upon the last two seasons for both 37-year-old LeBron James and 29-year-old Anthony Davis.”
On one hand, it is perfectly understandable that L.A. will want to impose such a boundary, given that key injuries have torpedoed its last two seasons.
But as of now, the two most likely destinations for Westbrook are reportedly the Charlotte Hornets and Indiana Pacers, and the two biggest pieces that the Lakers could receive in return are Gordon Hayward and Malcolm Brogdon.
Both players can help L.A. right away in its attempt to become an elite team again, but they have had trouble staying healthy in recent years.
In order to move forward as an organization, the Lakers may have to lower their standards somewhat in terms of who and what they expect back in any potential Westbrook deal.
