When Should Lakers Again Consider Russell Westbrook Trade amid Latest NBA Rumors?
This past NBA offseason featured a ton of trade speculation featuring big names. And yet, some of the biggest stayed exactly where they were.
Kevin Durant didn't leave the Brooklyn Nets. Neither did Kyrie Irving.
Then, there's Russell Westbrook, who is now getting ready for his second season with the Los Angeles Lakers. For the longest time, it seemed Westbrook may not make it to this point in L.A. Perhaps the Lakers would trade him, and maybe they would do so in a deal in which they'd acquire Irving.
Instead, Westbrook is preparing for the 2022-23 campaign alongside fellow stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis in hopes that Los Angeles will bounce back after not even making the play-in tournament last season. If it doesn't, then change could be on the horizon.
In fact, there could still be change before then. According to a report from The Athletic's Shams Charania, Sam Amick and Jovan Buha, "the prospect of [Westbrook] being traded in the coming weeks and months remains real."
"A decision to trade him or not would be based on a multitude of factors—not the least of which are his play and his continued willingness to follow through on the plan set forth by first-year coach Darvin Ham," Charania, Amick and Buha wrote.
While rumors about a potential Westbrook trade had been swirling for months, there apparently was still a realistic chance he could have been dealt quite recently. The Lakers remained "engaged in deep conversations" with the Indiana Pacers shortly before the start of training camp, per The Athletic's report.
In that potential deal, Los Angeles would have sent Westbrook and unprotected first-round picks in 2027 and 2029 to Indiana in exchange for Myles Turner and Buddy Hield, according to Charania, Amick and Buha.
Why didn't that happen? Well, the Lakers included front-office members and owners in the loop, per The Athletic, and when there wasn't a general consensus, vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka decided "to remain patient and see, yet again, if Westbrook might find a way to make this imperfect fit with the Lakers work."
So, that's where things stand. Los Angeles has played two preseason games with four more to go, then it will open the regular season with an Oct. 18 road matchup against defending NBA champions the Golden State Warriors.
It's possible that the James/Davis/Westbrook trio will work much better in its second year. Injuries prevented the three of them from being on the court together a ton last season, so if they stay healthy and develop more chemistry, that could pay off in a big way.
James, Davis and Westbrook are all talented players. They just need to find a way to have success while in the same lineup.
But what if that doesn't happen? Should the Lakers still be considering a Westbrook trade in case they get off to a slow start?
It's not a bad idea. James is turning 38 in December, and he isn't going to play forever. Los Angeles needs to put itself in the best position to contend for a championship now, and it's possible its current lineup composition isn't the way to do that.
So the Lakers should keep a Westbrook deal in mind. If things go wrong by December or even into the start of 2023, then it may be time to make a move. And hopefully, at that point, Westbrook's value will still be high enough that Los Angeles can get a decent return.
