The 2022-23 season is right around the corner and fans are theorizing about how the Los Angeles Lakers could still trade Russell Westbrook. At this point, it seems like a foregone conclusion that Westbrook will be returning to Los Angeles to at least start the season.
It does not seem like the Lakers have any interest in trading two first-round picks, let alone one, to get Westbrook off the books. Rob Pelinka and co. also don’t seem to love the potential packages that are available and are seemingly hoping that better trades will be available at the deadline.
Anything can happen in the NBA, though, and surprise trades can come out of nowhere (nobody was expecting the Donovan Mitchell trade to the Cleveland Cavaliers). For that reason, trading Westbrook before the season is not completely out of the picture.
That is why outlets (like ourselves) continue to propose potential Westbrook trades that can check all the boxes for the Lakers. Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report recently put together three potential three-team trade ideas, one of which was a Westbrook trade involving the Utah Jazz and San Antonio Spurs:
Bailey pitches these trades as packages where “everyone ones”. There is just one problem with that when it comes to the Lakers: they do not win this trade, at all.
The Los Angeles Lakers would never say yes to this Russell Westbrook trade.
Everything we know about the Lakers’ priorities right now indicates that they would never make this kind of trade with the Jazz and Spurs. There are two things we know about the Lakers’ thought process right now that directly contradict this package.
The first is that the team does not want to trade two picks unless it is absolutely sure that it would turn LA into a contender. While it is nice to get Westbrook out of LA, this trade would not accomplish that for the Lakers.
Would they be better? Absolutely. But I would not say they are a bonafide contender (however they would be with Myles Turner and Buddy Hield but that is another conversation).
The second thing we know is that the Lakers would prefer to take on expiring contracts in return so they have a chance to sign someone like Kyrie Irving next summer. Two of the contracts they are trading for in this package are not expiring and are not very cheap.
Both Conley and McDermott are under contract for two more seasons. Conley’s $24.3 million is not fully guaranteed next season but at the very least, the team would have another $14.3 million on the books. McDermott, meanwhile, carries a $13.7 million cap hit next season.
3 free-agent guards who would be better for the Lakers than Westbrook
If the Los Angeles Lakers have to tell Russell Westbrook to go home they can sign one of these free-agent guards to replace him.
That is $28 million on the cap essentially for one player if the team does not guarantee Conley’s deal. If LA keeps Conley around that is $38 million for those two players next season. That is not a smart way for the team to spend its money.