Oklahoma City Thunder Receive: G Russell Westbrook, 2027 First Round Pick
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: C Derrick Favors, G Ty Jerome
Still being in the rebuilding process, the Oklahoma City Thunder could take on one of the worst contracts in the NBA while landing a potentially highly coveted future asset—the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2027 first-round pick.
The Thunder would send out Derrick Favors and Ty Jerome to the Lakers in order to muster up a fair amount of salary to send out while taking on Westbrook’s $47.1 million expiring salary.
The clear focus for the Lakers is to win another championship with LeBron James in the fold. There isn’t time to waste considering he will be 38-years-old early next season. By the time 2027 rolls around, “King James” will surely be long gone.
The outlook for the Lakers franchise is bleak in the post-LeBron era. Unless Anthony Davis sticks around long-term and manages to recruit a co-star to join him in Los Angeles, there just isn’t a foundation for future success.
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Despite having significant hype surrounding his potential, Talen Horton-Tucker has underwhelmed and there is a lack of draft picks and young talent beyond him. Parting with a distant future first-round pick will surely end up being costly when that time comes, but again, they are closer than they’ll ever be to contending.
Would this trade make sene for both sides? Let’s take a look at the rationale for both sides, starting with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
