The Los Angeles Lakers are scouring the league to find a trade partner. They are going to be one of the most active teams in the NBA for the remainder of the offseason as they are desperate to upgrade their roster.
Making a deal isn’t going to be easy as the Lakers are lacking tradable assets. Unless they are going to unload LeBron James or Anthony Davis, there isn’t much on the roster that will get other teams excited. Draft capital is also pretty scarce in Los Angeles.
The one player that they are hoping they can find a new home for is Russell Westbrook. The experiment after acquiring him from the Washington Wizards last offseason has been a dud. He didn’t mesh well with James and Davis on the court and some of his comments and actions, going back to his bizarre exit interview, certainly aren’t helping the situation.
Finding a team that is willing to take on the $47.1 million that Westbrook is owed isn’t easy. The asking price to absorb him is very high, as teams are reportedly looking to acquire two first-round picks in the swap. That isn’t a price that the Lakers have been willing to meet, but as the offseason moves along, their stance could certainly change.
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Rebuilding teams are the likeliest to help facilitate a Westbrook deal as they would love to add draft compensation. One team that could fit the bill now is the Utah Jazz, who are embarking on a rebuild.
What could a deal between the teams look like? Let’s take a look at this hypothetical trade that lands Westbrook in Salt Lake City.