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Getty Russell Westbrook #0 of the Los Angeles Lakers defends James Harden #13 of the Brooklyn Nets
Russell Westbrook remains one of the most bought players in the NBA offseason. With his whopping $47.5 million contract. Despite being an expiring contract, the Los Angeles Lakers are struggling to find a trading partner to take on. The Lakers and Brooklyn Nets have been tied to trade proposals with Westbrook as the Lakers continue to seek a Kyrie Irving and LeBron James reunion in Los Angeles.
No talks have progressed between the Lakers and the Nets. The closest the Lakers came to acquiring Irving was when he had the idea that he would sign with the Lakers for a $6 million mid-level extension. LeBron James has expressed his desire to play with Kyrie again, but after Irving settled in Brooklyn for the final year of his contract, they need to find a trade the Nets like in order to be able to do so.
The Nets remain uninterested in a deal that would bring Westbrook and his contract to Brooklyn. They’ve been discussed in possible three-way deals with teams like the San Antonio Spurs, but only initial talks have been held. Despite the recent report that the trio of Westbrook, James and Anthony Davis have spoken and look forward to picking it up again next season, the all-star point guard has been mentioned in yet another Irving proposal.
Another trade proposal from Irving for Westbrook
In an Aug. 2 Bleacher Reports column, Grant Hughes, Irving and Westbrook were again linked in trade proposals. This time the Nets had included picks in the proposed deal.
Brooklyn Nets received: Russell Westbrook, a 2027 first-round pick and a 2029 first-round pick
Los Angeles Lakers get: Kyrie Irving (and one other minimum salary player the Nets would need to add to close a deal.
It’s important to note that the title of the column is “Realistic Deals for the NBA’s Least Tradable Contracts,” and examines a variety of potential deals that would move some of the NBA’s least attractive contracts.
Westbrook’s contract is just that, an unattractive and rather large contract. The all-star point guard will likely still post numbers on every team he plays on, but teams are having a hard time justifying potential deals that bring that contract in return.
Russell’s season in Los Angeles wasn’t as bad as people make it out to be. He averaged 18.5 points and over 7 rebounds and 7 assists per game for the Lakers. His game was under a little magnifying glass in Los Angeles, and that hurt his trading shares, but he still had something to contribute.
Nets Russell trade remains unlikely
A deal that sends Russell to Brooklyn remains extremely unlikely. The networks were clearly not interested in acquiring the star. When Durant returns, it’s hard to imagine the two playing together again expecting a different outcome. Kyrie Irving remains a generational NBA talent despite the drama he brings to a franchise, and sending him away for a return of such little value feels like an egregious failure for Brooklyn’s Irving experiment.
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