Russell Westbrook is going to be one of the biggest names to watch during the upcoming NBA offseason. With the Los Angeles Lakers likely to look to move on from him, there will be quite a few avenues of doing so. A trade or some kind of buyout could be in store for the struggling star.
Looking into potential trade options, the two most linked teams have been the Houston Rockets and New York Knicks. Both teams could make a move for Westbrook should they choose to do so. However, there are many who don’t think either franchise would want to make that move at this point in time.
Shams Charania of The Athletic has come out to reveal a very surprising potential trade suitor for Russell Westbrook. That team is the Indiana Pacers.
The Indiana Pacers could emerge as a potential suitor for Westbrook, rival executives believe, but any trade involving the former NBA MVP will be complicated due to his massive salary and the Lakers’ next available first-round draft pick being in 2027, which the franchise will prioritize and thus be prudent in deciding the best route with Westbrook. Two other routes for Westbrook could be keeping him or discussing a contract buyout.
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How would the Pacers pull off a trade with the Lakers for Westbrook? The two names mentioned as potential trade matches are point guard Malcolm Brogdon and sharpshooter Buddy Hield. As many fans know, the Lakers nearly pulled off a trade with the Sacramento Kings for Hield last offseason before deciding to trade for Westbrook.
Why would the Pacers want to make this move? It would be more about the cap room they would create after the 2022-23 season than actually wanting to build with Westbrook. Indiana could also quickly work out a buyout with Westbrook after acquiring him as well.
During the 2021-22 season with the Lakers, Russell Westbrook ended up averaging 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game. He shot 44.4 percent from the floor overall, but unfortunately connected on just 29.8 percent of his three-point attempts. Those numbers aren’t as awful as the perception of Westbrook has become, but they certainly aren’t great either.
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The upcoming offseason is going to be crazy for the Lakers. Los Angeles will have a lot of tough decisions to make as they look to get back to being legitimate playoff contenders.
Expect to see Russell Westbrook on his way out of town at some point and in some way. The Pacers are certainly a team to keep a close eye on this offseason as a trade partner for the Lakers.
