There have been a lot of mock NBA trades thrown around involving Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook. It could all be for naught, as there have been reports that the team is willing to hold onto him and run things back with their Big 3 of him, LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Given how disastrous the results were, there likely aren’t many people that take those reports seriously. It very well could be some posturing from the Lakers, trying to improve Westbrook’s stock as much as possible coming off one of the worst seasons of his career.
A few teams have popped up as landing spots for Westbrook, even going back to the trade deadline. The Houston Rockets have been long rumored, while the Charlotte Hornets, Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks have been in the rumor mill as well.
Could the other team in New York, the Brooklyn Nets, emerge as a potential landing spot? Ben Stinar of FanNation proposed on Twitter a swap of Russell Westbrook for Kyrie Irving, which team would say no?
It is certainly an interesting deal to think about that has plenty of layers to peel back. For starters, would James and Kevin Durant be willing to play with their former point guards a second time?
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: 2 Blockbuster Trades To Send Brooklyn Nets Star Kyrie Irving To Los Angeles Lakers
From the Nets’ perspective, they have to consider how a deal of this magnitude would impact Durant. He picked Irving as the player he wanted to team up with in Brooklyn. While things haven’t gone according to plan, moving on from the mercurial point guard could lead to Durant asking out of town as well.
For the Los Angeles Lakers, this is likely a trade they would sign up for 10 out of 10 times. Irving has already proven he is a championship-worthy fit alongside James, as they won a championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers together. He has some red flags, as he has missed a lot of time with the Nets, some self-inflicted, but it would be a risk worth taking for Los Angeles if they want to get back to being competitive.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: 2 Blockbuster Trades To Send Brooklyn Nets Star Kyrie Irving To Los Angeles Lakers
Ultimately, it is highly unlikely a blockbuster swap of point guards occurs between the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets. But, it is still an interesting scenario to talk through, as you can never say never when it comes to players being traded in the NBA.
