Lakers Rumors: 2 realistic teams to call for a Russell Westbrook trade

2. Orlando Magic

This would be the classic case of the Los Angeles Lakers dumping a contract on a really bad team that is not trying to win many games and sending draft capital along with it for the trade to happen. The Orlando Magic have no reason to want Russell Westbrook as they are going to be bad regardless, but they could add him to the roster if they are getting assets along with him.

The Magic have the contracts to string together to match Westbrook’s salary and make the trade possible. In return for Westbrook, Orlando would send the Lakers Gary Harris, Terrence Ross and Robin Lopez.

Now, these three players might not even have much of an impact on the Lakers but that is not why the team would trade for them. As already mentioned, the hope would be that the Lakers can make addition by subtraction by simply getting rid of Westbrook.

More importantly, this gives the Lakers a brand new slate. The only contract of those three that carries over into next season is Ross, who is making $11.5 million next season. The Lakers would be saving $36 million for next season in this trade.

The Lakers would have to send the Magic future first-round picks, which is simply the price they have to pay for getting off of Westbrook. It would probably take an unprotected first and a future pick swap, which would give the team virtually no future picks with the Anthony Davis trade as well.

The Magic would probably shut Westbrook down this season so he does not ruin their chances of getting the top pick in the 2022 NBA Draft and then could buy him out for next season. They are not trying to contend next year either and can simply pay him off to not play, which helps them reach the salary-cap floor.