There have been a ton of hypothetical Russell Westbrook trade ideas floated around in the last few weeks since the Los Angeles Lakers 2021-22 NBA season officially ended. Those hypotheticals are only going to pick up as we move closer to the 2022 NBA Draft and free agency.
Trading Westbrook seems like something that would benefit both parties. The Lakers need players that better fit around LeBron James and Anthony Davis to have any chance of getting back on track. Westbrook sounds like someone ready for a new opportunity after his one season in Los Angeles.
Figuring out where he could land is not easy, however. There aren’t many teams that have the cap space to make a trade work, and the ones that can, have little to no need for the aging point guard.
Even if the Lakers have to take back some long-term salary, it is something they should seriously consider. They need rotation pieces and breaking Westbrook’s salary up into multiple players makes a lot of sense. Draft compensation would also have to be involved to get a deal done.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: New Update Provides Insight Into Russell Westbrook’s Future With Lakers
One team that could be a landing spot for Westbrook is the Minnesota Timberwolves. Minnesota made its first playoff appearance since 2018 and is ready to continue climbing up the ranks in the Western Conference.
A trade for Westbrook could help set them up even better in the future. A 2027 first-round pick from the Lakers will assuredly be asked for in any of the deals. Figuring out the combination of players to head back to Los Angeles could be tougher to hammer out.
Would the Los Angeles Lakers have any interest in bringing back D’Angelo Russell? His skill set fits a little better than Westbrook, as he isn’t an elite 3-point shooter but more efficient than Westbrook is. Russell and Josh Okogie could be one package.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: New Update Provides Insight Into Russell Westbrook’s Future With Lakers
Another potential package would be Patrick Beverley, Okogie, and Malik Beasley. It is hard to imagine the Timberwolves being willing to part with multiple rotation players, but they would save some long-term money and have some spending power during the 2023 offseason.
They also hold onto Russell in the second scenario; could they convince Westbrook to become the leader of their second unit? It might be a role that Westbrook has to be open to playing next season regardless of where he lands.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: New Update Provides Insight Into Russell Westbrook’s Future With Lakers
Los Angeles can’t be picky about the return packages, as both of them at least address some of their needs this offseason. Ultimately, these feel like deals the MinnesotaTimberwolves wouldn’t get involved in, as they are parting with solid rotation players just to get a future first-round pick. Unless they have a deal lined up to land another established player, Minnesota would likely pass on these packages.
