NBA Rumors: Lakers Discussing Russell Westbrook Trade with 2 Teams

It is no secret that the Los Angeles Lakers have been struggling this season, and although LeBron James missing 12 games due to injury surely hasn't helped, most fans and analysts are pointing to one player as the culprit for the majority of their struggles: Russell Westbrook. Right or wrong, Westbrook's play has been heavily scrutinized, with many suggesting that the Lakers would have been better off trading for the Sacramento Kings' Buddy Hield - who was rumored to be available this past summer, and is a better fit on paper as he doesn't need the ball to be effective, and is a great spot-up 3 point shooter. Neither of those things is true about Russell Westbrook.

Westbrook's ball-dominant style hasn't meshed well with his teammates either with or without LeBron James on the court, and only James Harden has turned the ball over more than the triple-double machine. Despite his play, and a massive contract paying him nearly $100 million over this season and next, apparently, the Lakers think they can maybe salvage the depth they lost in the original deal to acquire Westbrook, and right the ship that is clearly closer to capsizing than sailing any rough seas on the way to a title.

Per source to @HoopAnalysisNet, not only have the #Lakers had "internal discussions" about trading Russell Westbrook as others have reported, they have had preliminary discussions with two teams about a potential trade. Nothing serious yet, however.
— Evan Massey (@massey_evan) December 14, 2021

Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers are a fairly safe bet to be one of those teams, but speculation is open as to who the other team might be inquiring about Westbrook. One source suggests that the Houston Rockets or Orlando Magic may be in on the Westbrook stakes as well if he does indeed become available.

Stay tuned to BBallRumors.com for the latest regarding The Los Angeles Lakers and Russell Westbrook.