It was only a matter of time before the Los Angeles Lakers rumors surrounding a potential Russell Westbrook trade started to emerge. It was obvious early on that Westbrook was not a great fit on the Lakers and even before he suited up in the purple and gold, it was clear that his contract was going to be a hindrance to the team.
Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report reported that the team has had internal discussions about trading Westbrook this season and even reached out to the Philadelphia 76ers for Ben Simmons. Those conversations reportedly did not go very far and that is no surprise. The 76ers would be silly to trade Simmons for Westbrook.
It is going to be hard to trade Westbrook with his massive salary so it should not be something that Laker fans expect to happen this season. That being said, Evan Massey of the NBA Analysis Network reported that the Lakers have had preliminary conversations with two teams for Westbrook.
Lakers rumors: Which two teams did the Lakers talk to for a Russell Westbrook trade?
One of those two teams mentioned by sources is probably the Philadelphia 76ers based on Fischer’s report and we know that is not happening. However, when we look at the landscape of the league, there are two teams that stand out above the rest as potential suitors for Russell Westbrook.
The trade packages are not great but if the Lakers really don’t think this is going to work then they might just get desperate. That is the situation that the team is currently in and they did it to themselves.
Let’s dive into the two teams who could be realistic landing spots for Russell Westbrook if these Lakers rumors become a reality.