The biggest story surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason is a potential Kyrie Irving trade. The Brooklyn Nets seem to be self-imploding with the Lakers being the only team interested in trading for Kyrie because of the team’s ability to flip Russell Westbrook in the process.
There is a chance that a trade with the Nets falls through, though, and it seems like the Lakers are preparing for that possibility. Sources told ESPN’s Dave Mcmenamin that the Lakers are engaged not just in trade talks with the Nets, but the Indiana Pacers as well. Both trades involve Russell Westbrook.
Things are different for the Pacers now than they were at the start of an offseason and a potential Westbrook trade at this point might be much more favorable for LA than it seemed to be two months ago. Based on what Indiana has, it is pretty easy to build out what a Westbrook trade with the Pacers would look like.
The most likely Russell Westbrook trade package to the Indiana Pacers:
In theory, Los Angeles would be able to pull off a two-for-one swap, sending Westbrook to Indiana and getting Buddy Hield and Myles Turner in return. With this being such a polarizing potential trade, there are likely fans in both fanbases that want to get more (or send less) in this potential trade.
However, at the end of the day, this is an absolutely fair trade for both sides and is one that both teams probably should make if the Nets trade falls through. In the following pages, we will break down why both the Lakers and the Pacers could say yes to this Russell Westbrook trade.
Why the Lakers could say yes to this Russell Westbrook trade:
It is not rocket science as far as the Los Angeles Lakers are concerned. While the odds still are not high, Los Angeles actually has a better chance of winning the NBA Championship if Russell Westbrook does not play next season. Being able to trade him and get actual rotation players in return would be a win for the team.
That being said, there are certain parts of this trade that the Lakers would have to talk themselves into. The first of which being Buddy Hield’s contract. While Hield does not have a massive salary, he is not on an expiring contract like Westbrook or Kyrie Irving, meaning that he will be on the books next summer as well.
That being said, the Lakers will still free up ample cap space and it is not like there is a superstar to sign next summer as is. This will show LeBron James a commitment to winning and will hopefully entice him to sign that extension.
The second part of this trade is the draft compensation. An unprotected first is a lot to give and while previous reports indicate the Lakers don’t want to do that, if push comes to shove they likely will.
While the Lakers’ future pick situation seems bleak, it is not as bad as it is made out to be. The team still has a pick in 2023 as they traded a pick swap, and the Pelicans have the choice of either the team’s 2024 or 2025 pick. Over the next four years, the Lakers still have three first-round picks to make.
Hield would add a nice shooting presence (which is needed even more with the Lakers not signing any great shooters) and Turner would bring a quality size option that could also space the floor. Better yet for ownership, the Lakers would save $7.1 million — and even more against the luxury tax — by making this deal.
Why the Indiana Pacers could say yes to this Russell Westbrook trade:
Prior to the offseason, I would not have given the Pacers any chance of making this trade. It seems like the team would be able to get more for both Buddy Hield and Myles Turner than a Westbrook salary dump and a valuable future first.
However, the Malcolm Brogdon trade changes everything. While Brogdon does have his injury concerns that hurt his value, he was still the most valuable asset that the Pacers had to trade. All Indiana got from Boston was a 2023 first-round pick that will be in the 20s and a bunch of contracts that don’t really matter.
The most promising player in the deal was Aaron Nesmith. Let that sink in.
That deal not only indicated that the value of Hield and Turner may not be that high but that the Pacers are willing to commit to this Victor Wembanyama tank job while also allowing Tyrese Haliburton and Bennedict Mathurin ample playing time to develop. Heck, Mathurin said he was better than LeBron James, so maybe they have a plan.
That Lakers’ future first-round pick is a valuable commodity in the NBA and the Pacers would be able to get off of Hield’s multi-year contract. While Indiana would be taking on $7.1 million more in salary, the team could work out a buyout with Westbrook that would essentially negate that extra money on the books.
Lakers: 2 possible Kyrie Irving trade packages involving the Spurs
The Los Angeles Lakers may need to loop in the San Antonio Spurs to complete a Kyrie Irving trade. Here are two potential packages that work.
This feels like a trade that is more likely to happen at the trade deadline as a Westbrook buyout would be far cheaper for Indiana. That being said, several teams have already made it clear they are tanking for Wembanyama, so the Pacers are better off acting now.