Russell Westbrook trade rumors are something that has dominated the headlines in the basketball world for months. The Los Angeles Lakers have been attempting to trade the veteran point guard since last offseason but to no avail. With the NBA trade deadline less than a day away, could something finally be coming to fruition?
A big hold-up, from the Lakers’ perspective to trading Westbrook is the compensation that is being asked for. Virtually every team that has talked to Los Angeles wants at least one unprotected first-round pick, if not two.
That is an asking price that Rob Pelinka has held firm on not giving in to. Unless the team was getting back a star-caliber, high-impact player, such as Kyrie Irving, they want to hold onto their best trade assets.
Their insistence on not just giving away draft picks makes sense. The Lakers want to compete for a title, but if the players coming back in a trade don’t get them closer to that it could cripple the franchise for years to come.
That is why a recent Russell Westbrook trade rumor that has popped up has people raising their eyebrows. According to Tim McMahon of ESPN, the Lakers are discussing a trade with the Utah Jazz that is centered around Westbrook and their first-round picks in 2027 and 2029.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Russell Westbrook, Los Angeles Lakers & Utah Jazz Updates
That has been a rumored landing spot for Westbrook since the summer, but that was when Bojan Bogdanovic was part of the discussion. Now, the focus is on a combination of rotation players such as Mike Conley Jr. and Malik Beasley.
Given the stance that Pelinka and the front office have taken, it would be shocking if they traded not one, but two first-round picks to the Jazz. It is hard to imagine Conley and Beasley helping the Lakers turn things around to the point that they would be considered contenders in the Western Conference.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Russell Westbrook, Los Angeles Lakers & Utah Jazz Updates
If Los Angeles is going to go all-in to that degree, they should make a call to the Toronto Raptors. Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. are who the Lakers should be targeting with a package like that. If it takes a swap in 2026 or 2028 or another player to get the job done, they shouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger on that deal.
A lineup consisting of VanVleet, Trent, LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, Anthony Davis, Patrick Beverley, Lonnie Walker IV, Dennis Schroder, Troy Brown Jr. and Thomas Bryant would be enough to at least make some noise the rest of the season.
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