One of the bigger trades leading up to the NBA Trade Deadline was a three-team deal involving the Los Angeles Lakers, Utah Jazz and Minnesota Timberwolves. There were a lot of moving parts in the deal as seven players and four draft picks were exchanged.
The Lakers were considered big winners of the deal acquiring D’Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley to upgrade their rotation. To complete the deal they traded Juan Toscano-Anderson, Damian Jones, Russell Westbrook and a lightly protected first-round pick.
While the Lakers’ main focus is now making a postseason push, things aren’t as set in stone when it comes to Westbrook’s future. He landed with the Jazz in the trade, who are in a rebuild, which could lead to him making another move.
Utah’s brain trust of head coach Will Hardy, general manager Justin Zanik and CEO Danny Ainge let Westbrook and his agent Jeff Schwartz know that the franchise would welcome him with open arms should he report to the team. But, there would be no guarantee about how many minutes he would play or how big of a role he would have as the team is prioritizing the development of the younger players.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Russell Westbrook, Utah Jazz, LA Clippers, Miami Heat & Chicago Bulls Updates
Westbrook is going to take some time to decide what he wants to do as his decision could last through the All-Star break. Another route that he could take is asking for a buyout from the Jazz, which presents its own hurdles since Westbrook is earning $47 million this season.
Agreeing to a buyout would enable Westbrook to become a free agent and pick his next team to play with. If that occurs, the Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat and LA Clippers are teams to keep an eye on. Paul George already is recruiting him to come back to Los Angeles and play with the Clippers.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Russell Westbrook, Utah Jazz, LA Clippers, Miami Heat & Chicago Bulls Updates
Right now, the Jazz and Westbrook are keeping their options open. He could report to the team and play an unspecified role or he could remain away from the team and just get paid the remainder of his $47 million. A buyout feels to be the likeliest outcome, especially if Westbrook wants a role on a playoff contender.
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