The Russell Westbrook experiment has gone south in Los Angeles, and the Lakers appear ready to move on from this blunder of a deal.
Westbrook was always going to be a bad fit on the Lakers. He can’t shoot 3s, he makes erratic decisions and both his age and injuries have hampered his athleticism enough to where his defense is spotty at best. His poor play has sapped the life out of his teammates, and now he’s questioning why he can’t play closing minutes on a team that’s better with him off the floor.
The Lakers gave up Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Montrezl Harrell in the Westbrook deal, and now it’s time for them to find some other pieces to mix and match around LeBron James and Anthony Davis in their pursuit of a championship.
It’s slim pickings given Westbrook’s lack of production, coupled with his mammoth contract (he has one more year remaining worth $47 million), but here are some trade scenarios the Lakers might consider.
Knicks-Lakers
— KNICKS RECEIVE: WESTBROOK, PROTECTED FIRST-ROUND PICK CONSIDERATION
— LAKERS RECEIVE: KEMBA WALKER, ALEC BURKS, EVAN FOURNIER
Kemba Walker hasn’t been very good, Alec Burks isn’t the full-time answer at the point guard spot and Evan Fournier has been a reliable 3-point shooter, and the idea of giving up Fournier alone — despite his blunders this season — might be enough to make the Knicks balk at this trade.
But if the Knicks believe Westbrook can thrive in an environment away from LeBron, a Big 3 of Westbrook, Julius Randle and RJ Barrett might be worth the experiment.
Knicks fans will certainly cheer Westbrook — until he gives them a reason not to. The worry here, of course, is having two ball-dominant players (Westbrook and Randle) could freeze the youngster Barrett out of the offense amid his breakout season.
The win, however, is $47 million in cap space freed in two summers. That’s enough for the Knicks to make a run at any player they want, though Randle’s four-year contract extension doesn’t begin until next season.
Magic-Lakers
— MAGIC RECEIVE: WESTBROOK, TALEN HORTON-TUCKER, KENDRICK NUNN, 2025 & 2027 PROTECTED FRP
— LAKERS RECEIVE: TERRENCE ROSS, GARY HARRIS, MICHAEL CARTER-WILLIAMS, E’TWAUN MOORE
This is my favorite trade scenario because it’s the most realistic. Everyone wins here: The Lakers get multiple pieces to contribute to a championship team, and the Magic get future first-round picks, two young players and maybe, just maybe, they can flip Westbrook again next season if he plays well enough in Orlando.
Terrence Ross and Gary Harris make immediate sense as offensive options, and E’Twaun Moore is a veteran who can space the floor and create his own shot. Michael Carter-Williams is still a solid reserve point guard in this league, and if everyone can get on LeBron’s schedule, he will raise their game to the next level.
Rockets-Lakers
— ROCKETS RECEIVE: WESTBROOK, SECOND-ROUND PICK CONSIDERATION
— LAKERS RECEIVE: JOHN WALL
Eighty percent of people who voted in my Twitter poll said they’d rather have John Wall — who has been on his couch all season — on the Lakers over Westbrook. That’s how bad Westbrook has been in what is about to be a very, very short stint in Los Angeles.
The Rockets have already had enough Westbrook for one lifetime dating back to his stint as James Harden’s supporting act. What else are they going to give the Rockets, who are under no pressure whatsoever to trade a player who’s not with the team for another player who they wouldn’t want on the floor with their young stars?
Maybe the Rockets negotiate with Westbrook to buy his contract out at a number significantly less than the sticker price, perhaps 65%? Otherwise, they let him sit, just like Wall, for the rest of this season and next if he exercises his player option worth $47 million next season.
Using OKC as a third team
The Thunder only have $49 million on their payroll and can almost absorb Westbrook’s entire contract whole. I’d imagine Oklahoma City would be more than willing to welcome their former MVP back home and pay him $47 million next season — so long as there’s draft compensation attached to the deal.
So there’s no reason why the Lakers shouldn’t pick up the phone and loop the Thunder in on a deal. They could move Kenrich Williams, who’s been involved in trade talks, and Derrick Favors, who makes $9.7 million, in a deal that also sends the Lakers some quality players to play alongside LeBron and AD. Whether there’s enough to sweeten the pot for the Thunder to be open to such a deal, however, remains to be seen.
Honorable mentions
I believe the window on a De’Aaron Fox for Russell Westbrook swap, if it was ever open, has firmly closed with the Domantas Sabonis trade to the Kings.
A deal with the Pacers that includes Buddy Hield and/or Ricky Rubio would have helped the Lakers tremendously, but neither Hield nor Rubio can be packaged in a deal since they were both recently traded and can only be acquired in a one-for-one player swap.
