NBA Rumors: Insiders Say Westbrook Trade Remains A "Real" Possibility

While the Los Angeles Lakers players prepared to gather for training camp last week, the team's brass was still seriously considering a blockbuster trade that would have sent Russell Westbrook to the Indiana Pacers. That's the latest from NBA Insiders Shams Charania, Sam Amick and Jovan Buha in The Athletic. And they say that the prospect of a Westbrook trade is still on the table.

League sources tell The Athletic that the prospect of him being traded in the coming weeks and months remains real.

The trio of Insiders, from sources with direct knowledge of the negotiations,  outline a scenario where "the Lakers’ key decision-makers spent several days engaged in deep conversations about the feasibility of a blockbuster trade with Indiana."

The Lakers heavily debated parting with 2027 and 2029 first-round picks alongside Russell Westbrook for Myles Turner and Buddy Hield last week, but are holding off for the time being. https://t.co/0E9Q4LCGrs

— Evan Sidery (@esidery) October 3, 2022

The LA front office hotly debated the prospect of giving up those two first-round picks (2027, 2029), along with Westbrook's expiring $47M, in return for center Myles Turner and sharpshooter Buddy Hield.

The report adds that any decision to trade Westbrook would be based not only on his play, but also on "his continued willingness to follow through on the plan set forth by first-year coach Darvin Ham."

 

Yet, at the same time, they say that it's not the Lakers' first choice to deal their beleaguered point guard, but rather, "in a perfect world, Westbrook would find his stride with these Lakers, the team would perform at a high level, wins would follow and the franchise would finally show its short- and long-term potential."

In other words, they're still not sure of which direction they're headed, and everything is still on the table.

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