Recent rumors suggest that Russell Westbrook could be on the move “sooner rather than later.” Are the Los Angeles Lakers in his cards?
When it comes to Russell Westbrook and the Lakers, the general consensus among fans is that while they’d love to have him, they would prefer not to trade away pieces of the young core, especially when the team has a shot at landing him in free agency in one year. Wouldn’t he rather come to a developed roster as opposed to a gutted one?
The counterargument to that point is that Los Angeles would be wise to make a move for him now in order to have a year to convince him that the Purple and Gold, and more so, home, is the place for him to be. Further, giving another team the chance to woo him for an entire year makes getting a meeting with him the following summer less likely.
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However, without any guarantee of re-signing critics of this way of thinking will gladly point out what happened with Dwight Howard just a few years ago. Though Westbrook has yet to speak on the subject himself, recent rumors suggest that he could be on the move even before the season starts.
According to Howard Beck of Bleacher Report, there are rumblings from GMs around the league that he could be traded “sooner rather than later,” and that the Boston Celtics seem like the “most likely destination right now.”
Beck made sure to include the fact that the Oklahoma City Thunder are known for trading away their assets instead of being left with nothing. Examples of course include James Harden, Reggie Jackson and Serge Ibaka, with Kevin Durant being the only player they received absolutely nothing for as he left in unrestricted free agency.
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Even with a guarantee, do you think the Lakers should pull the trigger on a trade Russell Westbrook trade before this season starts? Let us know how you feel in the comment section below.