The Los Angeles Lakers are still seeking a trade partner that is willing to take on veteran guard Russell Westbrook.
The Brooklyn Nets and Indiana Pacers have seemingly been the teams most frequently linked to the Lakers in trade talks this offseason. However, according to a Monday report, the Lakers have been talking to some other teams as well.
Shams Charania of The Athletic offered some insight on the matter.
“Utah, New York and Indiana are among the teams who have discussed deals with the Lakers involving Russell Westbrook and draft capital, sources said,” he wrote. “There appears no deal imminent in those conversations — as the overall trade market plays out over the next two months of the offseason.”
As the report indicates, Lakers fans should not be gearing up to celebrate a trade in the immediate future. It’s quite possible that this saga will stretch out for much of the offseason. It is even possible that it extends into the regular season.
If Westbrook were to remain with the Lakers heading into the regular season, there would certainly be a lot he could do on the court to improve his current trade stock. Westbrook’s stock has probably never been lower than it is right now. The former MVP has been highly disrespected by fans and media members, and there is a general consensus now that he isn’t the player he used to be.
Whether or not those criticisms are fair is up for debate. However, if Westbrook can start the 2022-23 NBA season out strong and prove that he can still be a positive player, teams around the NBA may start to view him differently.
As for the Lakers, it’s clear that the team’s front office is going to continue spending a lot of time and energy on trying to find a way to offload the guard.
