Why are the Nets asking for a first-round pick in Irving-Westbrook?

For several weeks, the Brooklyn Nets and the Los Angeles Lakers have been in talks about a possible trade between Kyrie Irving and Russell Westbrook, but for now they have not been able to reach an agreement and one of the reasons is the refusal of the Californians to deliver future selections. of the NBA draft.

The agreement would involve the Nets assuming Westbrook’s contract for the 2022-2023 season, which is for $47 million, which is why the team sees it sensible to receive compensation in this regard and initially requested two first-round picks for this purpose. but according to a report by the Southern California News Group, Brooklyn would accept a first-rounder and a pair of second-rounders.

This requirement by Brooklyn is not unreasonable, since in itself there are few teams that could accept a contract as big as Westbrook’s in exchange and even more so after the irregular sports level shown by the point guard during the past season.

This is achievable by the Lakers, but the problem would lie in the approach sought by the management of the organization thinking about the future, since the changes for Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook practically sacrificed a good part of the team’s medium-term future. , by giving up multiple draft picks.