December 15th is an important date in the NBA as that is when a large portion of players who signed contracts in the offseason are eligible to be traded. With an expanded player pool, trade talks usually begin to heat up.
One of the teams that people will be keeping an eye on is the Los Angeles Lakers. It was recently revealed that the Lakers have had some internal discussions about the possibility of trading point guard, Russell Westbrook.
The purple and gold took a risk on acquiring Westbrook from the Washington Wizards this offseason. They had hoped he would help keep the team afloat in minutes that LeBron James was off the court.
While things have improved recently, the Big 3 of LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis has not performed at the level the organization had hoped. As a result, they have begun game planning if they should look to move on from Westbrook should the opportunity present itself.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: This Lakers-Sixers Trade Features Russell Westbrook, Ben Simmons
Finding a trade partner for the Los Angeles Lakers willing to tag on Westbrook is not easy. While he still produces at a solid clip, his contract is going to be extremely difficult to move.
Russell Westbrook is owed $91 million through the 2022-23 season if he picks up his player option. It is a near certainty that will do that, as he won’t approach that number in free agency on his next contract.
One of the teams with the means to absorb a contract of that size is the Philadelphia 76ers. However, it takes two to tango and according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, on a recent appearance on The HoopsHype Podcast, the 76ers have no interest in taking on Westbrook.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: This Lakers-Sixers Trade Features Russell Westbrook, Ben Simmons
Fischer revealed that he confirmed a call had been made to Philadelphia. The Cleveland Cavaliers, another team with the salary to match a deal for Westbrook, had not been called.
“The only outgoing call I confirmed was to Philadelphia for Ben Simmons… When I got the information that they called about Ben, the conversation pretty much was, “We’re interested in Ben. How would we get there?” The obvious solution is Russell Westbrook. He’s not a player on that Sixers list that they have.
I called Cleveland, and that call hasn’t been made.”
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: This Lakers-Sixers Trade Features Russell Westbrook, Ben Simmons
It isn’t too surprising that the Philadelphia 76ers have no interest in acquiring Russell Westbrook in a deal for Ben Simmons. Westbrook does not fit the criteria of what Philadelphia is looking for in a return package for Simmons.
For a deal with the Cavaliers to work, Kevin Love would be the centerpiece of a deal. Given how well Cleveland is playing right now, it would be shocking to see them disrupt what they have built.
