Los Angeles Lakers Receive: G John Wall, C Christian Wood
Houston Rockets Receive: G Russell Westbrook, F Talen Horton-Tucker, 2027 First-Round Pick
What you’re experiencing is not deja vu. You have, in fact, seen this trade proposal before.
Options for trading Westbrook are limited. That’s what happens when you make $47 million a year to do a job that a lot of experts don’t think you’re doing well anymore. Nonetheless, this trade rumor persists because it makes sense for both teams.
The Rockets are in the infancy stages of a rebuild. They’ll buy Westbrook out, or sit him like they’ve sat Wall. They’re simply better off with a 21-year-old Horton-Tucker and a first-round pick than Christian Wood. This deal frees up room in the frontcourt.
That’s important for a team that needs to get a good look at potential star Alperen Sengun. When you consider that they’re likely to draft another forward/big this summer, it becomes vital.
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Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers make for a more suitable home for Wood. His defensive shortcomings would be masked by a healthy Anthony Davis. He’s also an elite stretch big who will improve the team’s spacing and complement James. The riskier proposition here involves John Wall.
After all, he didn’t play a second of professional basketball last year. He’s always been a marginally better floor-spacer than Westbrook, but he’s still no Mario Chalmers. Those are the breaks. We told you these were the best deals the Lakers could get for Westbrook. We didn’t say they were great.
