Should The Lakers Be Shopping Russell Westbrook
The Los Angeles Lakers have had another rough start to their season after going 0-3. The struggles of the Lakers have been amplified because of the star players of Lebron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook all being a part of the Lakers organization. The two biggest struggles the Lakers have dealt with is their three point shooting and Russell Westbrook. In the first three Lakers games, the Lakers have made 25 out of their 118 attempts from beyond the three point line. The Lakers are by far the worst three point shooting team so far this season shooting 21.18%. When you have players like Lebron James and Anthony Davis, it’s a must to have three point shooters surrounding them so that they can operate and not worry about double or triple teams.
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The other issue is Russell Westbrook continues to play poorly with the Lakers and has failed to find his role within the team. Through these first three Laker games, Westbrook is averaging 10.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 2 steals, while shooting 28.9% from the field, and 8.3% from the three point line. These statistics are completely horrible and what makes it worse is that the Lakers are paying him 47 million dollars this year which is the second highest paying contract in the NBA. If you have been watching the Lakers games it's obvious that the Lakers play better while Westbrook is on the bench. The Lakers seem to go on great scoring runs and at times take the lead when Westbrook is not playing. As soon as Westbrook checks into the game, the Lakers end up getting blown out by the opposing team and it leads to the Lakers losing.
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However, it hasn’t all been negative for the Lakers. The Lakers have increased their defensive intensity and it has shown. The Lakers are currently ranked second in defensive rating and have shown that they can consistently be a lockdown team. It’s a bit mind boggling that the second best defensive team in the league cannot secure a win. It really puts it into perspective how bad the Lakers offense has been. The Lakers have potential to be a great NBA team, they just need to find some offensive weapons. So I think the Lakers have two, trade Westbrook this season and get some shooters or stick it out with the current roster they have, hope the Lakers and Westbrook improve on the offensive end, and let Westbrook leave in the off-season. If the Lakers were to trade him, here are some trade packages that have been rumored to be possible.
Trade #1: The Indiana Pacers
The first trade is with the Indiana Pacers which has been floating around for sometime. The trade involves the Lakers giving up Russell Westbrook, a 2027 and 2029 first-round draft pick for Myles Turner and Buddy Hield.
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The pros of this trade is that they get a sharpshooter in Buddy Hield who is a career 39.7% three point shooter on 7.6 attempts per game. They also get a very good young big man in Myles Turner who averages 12.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks while shooting 48.9% from the field and 34.9% from three for his career. These two players would solve many problems the Lakers have so far which is three point shooting and a consistent center that can also shoot the three pointer if needed.
The cons to this trade is that the Lakers have to give up two first round picks for players that may not stay with the Lakers for the long term. As a general manager, when giving up two first-round picks you have to think to yourself, can this deal make us a championship contender? Myles Turner is on an expiring contract which means he will be a free agent after this season and Buddy Hield only has two years on his contract. Myles Turner has also been injury prone and hasn’t played over 50 games in the past two seasons. The Lakers would be taking a big risk in throwing away their future first-round picks for players that may not even help the Lakers win a championship. Rob Pelinka seems very hesitant to give up two draft picks and for good reason.
Trade #2: The San Antonio Spurs
Shams has reported that the Lakers are interested in Spurs guard Josh Richardson. During the off-season there were reports of the Lakers being interested in a trade for Josh Richardson, Jokob Poeltl, and Doug McDermott. There were no reports of what the Lakers would have to give up but at the very least it would be Russell Westbrook and one of their first-round picks. However, I think that the Spurs would ask for both the 2027 and 2029 first-round picks as the Indiana Pacers have been doing.
The pros to this trade is that they get very good three point shooting in Josh Richardson and Doug McDermott while also getting a very good role player at center in Jakob Poeltl. Josh Richardson is a 36.6% three point shooter for his career and in his last two seasons he has shot over 40% from the three point line. Doug McDermott is also a knockdown shooter who shoots 41% from the three point line throughout his career. Both of these players would be great pieces to put around Lebron and Davis as they can stretch the floor and be reliable shooters. Jokob Poeltl would also be a nice addition to the Lakers whether he starts or comes off the bench. Last season Poeltl averaged 13.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game. Poeltl has a nice touch around the rim which would pair nicely with Lebron’s pick and roll offense, he can rebound the ball at a high level, and he protects the rim very well.
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The cons to this trade are very similar to the Indiana Pacers trade. The Lakers would most likely give up two first-round picks for players that can’t guarantee them a championship. Richardson is also on an expiring contract so the Lakers may not be able to retain him for next season. However, McDermott and Poeltl are on three year deals so the Lakers would be able to hold onto them. This trade comes down to if the Lakers team and organization thinks they have enough to win it all by accepting the trade. If not, I don’t see Rob Pelinka throwing away two first-round draft picks.
Trade #3: The Charlotte Hornets
Shams also reported that the Lakers have been interested in the Charlotte Hornets point guard Terry Rozier. This is another trade package that was talked about during the off-season which included Terry Rozier, Gordon Hayward, and P.J. Washington for Russell Westbrook. There haven't been reports if it would include both of the Lakers first-round draft picks but I would assume it does.
The pros to this trade is that they get three good shooters and scorers which they desperately need. Terry Rozier in his last two seasons has averaged 20 points, 4.3 assists while shooting 38% from three. Gordan Hayward is a former all-star who averages 15.6 points and shoots 37.1% from three throughout his career. Gordon Hayward is also a very smart player both offensively and defensively and tends to make the right basketball play. P.J. Washington is only 24 years old, averages 11.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and shoots 37.6% from the three for his career. Washington is also 6’7 and can be a decent wing defender for the Lakers. If the Lakers want scoring and shooting this deal might be what they are looking for.
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The cons to this trade are that they once again have to give up two first-round picks. Another con is that Gordan Hayward has been injury prone throughout his career and has played less than 50 games for the last two seasons. The other con that isn’t that big of a problem but could become a problem in the future is that the Lakers would have to pay Terry Rozier’s contract which is 96 million dollars up until the 2025-26 season.
Overall, it seems as though the Lakers do have options to pivot away from the Westbrook situation, but they would have to risk giving up their future. After seeing all the possible trade rumors, which one would you pick if you were the Lakers general manager? Or what would you stick it out with Westbrook and keep the first-round picks.
