NBA Trade Rumors: Insider says a Russell Westbrook-Kyrie Irving trade is still possible down the line
NBA Trade Rumors: Insider says a Russell Westbrook-Kyrie Irving trade is still possible down the line. The focus in Lakers Land has shifted back to the question of whether or not Russell Westbrook will be traded before the start of training camp now that LeBron James has signed the extension to his deal.
It has been reported in the past that certain members of the Lakers organization regard the beginning of the Lakers’ fall training camp as a “soft deadline” to trade for Russell Westbrook.
In its current state, the Los Angeles Lakers roster does not exactly scream “title contender.” Which most certainly appears to be the motivating factor behind LeBron’s rumored desire to continue pushing the front staff to make the Kyrie Irving-Russell Westbrook matchup a reality, not just news fodder.
Even though the Nets have shown no interest in assuming Westbrook’s deal, the Lakers still have a chance of acquiring Kyrie Irving in a trade involving three teams. According to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, it all boils down to two things.
Sources
“According to the information provided by those individuals, it appears that the Lakers will be willing to deal with both of their first-round picks in 2027 and 2029 to acquire a new home for Russell Westbrook. The question of whether or not Los Angeles will be willing to cooperate in this matter is still unanswered.”
Pincus brought attention to the notion that the conclusion of LeBron James’ deal could be a factor in a trade involving Russell Westbrook occurring sooner rather than later.
“According to several sources connected to other teams such as the Brooklyn Nets, Indiana Pacers, and San Antonio Spurs, the Lakers have not been prepared to part with a large amount of draught money to get out from under Westbrook’s contract. However, this could have had something to do with the ambiguity around James’ future, which has been cleared up at this point.”
If the Nets are adamant about not bringing Westbrook into the chaos that Kevin Durant has helped create in Brooklyn, then the Spurs might be interested in a three-team trade. There have been speculations that the Utah Jazz is interested in acquiring Russell Westbrook as a trade piece because they are a long way from winning after Rudy Gobert’s departure and could be trading All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell to the Knicks.
The bottom line is that if the Lakers are ready to give up their two first-round selections, they will be able to get rid of Westbrook and improve their squad around LeBron James as a result of the trade.