It doesn’t seem as though the Los Angeles Lakers will trade Russell Westbrook any time soon. According to reports, they’re asking potential head coach candidates how they would hypothetically involve Westbrook in specific scenarios. It has also been revealed that the Lakers are also not giving up any more first-round draft picks in any Westbrook trade packages. However, I have a difference of opinion regarding a potential Westbrook trade. The Lakers got a little too “greedy” over the last couple of years.
They traded away a productive JaVale McGee for an aging washed-up Marc Gasol. In addition to that, they initially let Dwight Howard walk to the Philadelphia 76ers. To make room for Montrezl Harrell, who took a couple of steps backward. Then last summer, they unloaded big time. They traded away Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Montrezl Harrell. Now, the Lakers are paying the price because they missed the playoffs. While I respect them for not giving up on Westbrook, it might be time to move on. Now, the Lakers are paying the price because they missed the playoffs. While I respect them for not giving up on Westbrook, it might be time to move on.
Suitable Trade Package
If I were Rob Pelinka, I would be doing everything to get rid of Westbrook. He is in the final year of his five-year, $41.3 million contract. He is guaranteed $47 million this upcoming season, and then he will become an unrestricted free agent come 2023. So, it might not be all that hard to convince a team to take on his contract. The Lakers shouldn’t try to target a big-name player. For example, they have been linked to Damian Lillard and Buddy Hield trade discussions. Instead, the Lakers should aim smaller. They should definitely ask for one since they don’t have a first-round pick in this year’s draft. However, that might be a hard sell for some teams, so I wouldn’t bet on that happening. However, they should definitely demand two things in the trade package: a decent point guard and a three-point specialist.
When looking at point guards, all they need is a player who can give them anywhere from 10-15 points and dish out a decent amount of assists. Since LeBron James is the true facilitator, they don’t really need an all-star caliber point guard. As for the three-point specialist, they need a consistent sniper since the Lakers ranked 21st in the entire league for the worst three-point percentage. It also wouldn’t hurt if that said player can also play a little defense. If the Lakers were to trade away Westbrook hypothetically, those are two types of players the Lakers should target. Because the Lakers were able to win a championship back in 2020, they had a decent starting point guard in Rajon Rondo and a 3-and-D specialist in Danny Green. The Lakers need to be less greedy in the future.
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