Los Angeles Lakers Receive: F Marcus Morris Jr., G Luke Kennard, G Reggie Jackson

LA Clippers Receive: G Russell Westbrook, 2027 First-Round Pick (LAL)

Russell Westbrook’s perception around the league has taken a serious hit over the last couple of years.

It’s hard to remember now, but this man was once named the league’s Most Valuable Player. Through the 2010s, he reinvented the triple-double. What was once viewed as a rare occurrence became commonplace as Westbrook achieved the statistical feat on a near-nightly basis.

Flashforward to 2021-22. Today, Westbrook could get a quadruple double, and if the Los Angeles Lakers lost, he’d receive little credit. Many feel that he racks up his stats at the expense of winning basketball. His proneness to mental lapses and inefficiency have made him a popular scapegoat for the Lakers’ 2021-22 struggles.

Whether that’s fair or not is a separate debate. What does seem obvious is that Westbrook is not a good fit alongside superstar LeBron James. Recently, rumors seem to suggest that the team intends to keep Westbrook through 2022-23. Whether that’s wise is yet another separate debate.

If the team has a change of heart and decides that it isn’t, could the LA Clippers be interested in acquiring the mercurial point guard?