NBA rumors: Lakers still want to trade Russell Westbrook

Even with Russell Westbrook officially Selected in the final, $47 million a year off his current contractIt seems like Los Angeles Lakers They haven’t completely given up on the idea that he’ll be on their roster next season. But they are probably the closest they are to full acceptance of this frustrating reality.

In the wake of Westbrook’s admission on Tuesday, Jovan Poha the athlete Reports that “although a Westbrook deal is still possible, the Lakers are currently planning to start next season with him on the roster.”

Poha wrote that there is a scenario that could change the calculus – and that the Lakers, in a vacuum, would still like to trade Westbrook – but his mass displacement doesn’t seem to be a particularly likely outcome at this point (emphasis mine):

That could change if the Lakers find a team willing to take on Westbrook’s expired contract without also demanding a first-round pick in the future (2027 or 2029), which has not been the case until now. The Lakers still favored trading Westbrook, given concerns surrounding his game’s decline, his fit with James and Davis and his willingness to adapt to the role the team required him for.

The Lakers will soften their stance for the right comeback (think Kyrie Irving, several starting level players, or another disgruntled star). But the front office has been telling those around the team for weeks that Westbrook will be Laker at the start of training camp.

There’s a lot to unravel there, and Jovan’s story as well Well worth readingbut let’s get into this report, line by line.

That could change if the Lakers find a team willing to take on Westbrook’s expired contract without also demanding a first-round pick in the future (2027 or 2029), which has not been the case until now.

I’ll go ahead and fantasize about a wild guess that will likely continue like this.

The Lakers still favored trading Westbrook, given concerns surrounding his game’s decline, his fit with James and Davis and his willingness to adapt to the role the team required him for.

I mean, that makes sense. However, as mentioned above…

The Lakers will soften their stance for the right comeback (think Kyrie Irving, several starting level players, or another disgruntled star). But the front office has been telling those around the team for weeks that Westbrook will be Laker at the start of training camp.

To sum up, the Lakers seem to want to trade Westbrook, but not so badly that they’d be willing to attach anything of value to entice another team to take it on. So really, it’s not bad at all. It would be like walking into a restaurant, declaring that you want some food but don’t want to pay for it, and then just grabbing a chair and staring at the cashier, hoping they will bring you a meal. Sure, they’ll probably feel bad and give you something to screw up, but they’ll probably just let you sit and go hungry.

And because most NBA teams aren’t in the habit of getting $47 million in contracts—no, not even expiring contracts—just as they are without associated assets, the Lakers and Ross are likely stuck together, victims of their own interests, but far from Happy Homecoming, both parties thought they had in common.

Westbrook (understandably and fully justified!) wanted the money he earned from Oklahoma City Thunder Back when he signed his current contract, and the Lakers (less understanding, but still somewhat defensive) didn’t want to trade an eighth-grader and/or a sixth-grader just to get rid of Westbrook and hopefully get them closer to themselves. The stated objective of the title dispute. As a result of these mutually understandable decisions, both sides will likely continue to fall into this self-created predicament where no one is happy, but no one wants to make the sacrifice necessary to consciously disengage.

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