Los Angeles Lakers Receive: G Derrick Rose, G/F Evan Fournier, G/F Alec Burks
New York Knicks Receive: G Russell Westbrook, LAL 2027 1st Round Pick (Unprotected)
At the end of the day, the Los Angeles Lakers do not have many choices in terms of what a Russell Westbrook trade will look like.
There really is no scenario that is feasible in which they would come out the “winners” per se, which is why settling with whatever they can get makes the most sense.
If a trade with the Rockets for John Wall is on-the-table, the Lakers should absolutely take this deal, as Wall is a better fit in Los Angeles and is going to be on an expiring contract, but this trade with the New York Knicks is definitely intriguing for the Lakers to get back talent that they gave up when they initially traded for Russell Westbrook last summer.
Derrick Rose is a veteran that the Lakers pursued in free agency before and both Evan Fournier and Alec Burks can be two key offensive talents the Lakers could add for depth.
LATEST NBA NEWS AND RUMORS: Is It Time For Russell Westbrook To Sit Out Rest Of Lakers’ Season?
Keeping Russell Westbrook at this point does not seem realistic for the Lakers, which is why a trade like this could wind up making a bit of sense for them.
On the other side of things, there are definitely pros and cons for the Knicks in this trade.
Derrick Rose, Evan Fournier and Alec Burks are all key secondary contributors for this Knicks offense, but the team is not going to be making the playoffs this year just one season after claiming the 4-seed in the Eastern Conference.
Change is on the horizon for this franchise and with the 2022 free agent class not possessing exactly what the Knicks will need moving forward, team president Leon Rose, GM Scott Perry and New York’s front-office could turn their attention to finding ways to pursue high-level talents in 2023 free agency.
LATEST NBA NEWS AND RUMORS: Is It Time For Russell Westbrook To Sit Out Rest Of Lakers’ Season?
Having open cap space then is going to be extremely important and by taking on Russell Westbrook’s $47 million contract for the 2022-23 season, the Knicks would instantly be able to open up $47 million to play around with the following offseason.
Nothing has been said at this time on whether or not the New York Knicks are truly interested in taking on Russell Westbrook’s contract for next year, but his fit next to Julius Randle and RJ Barrett is not too crazy to think about.
