The rhetoric surrounding Russell Westbrook’s future with the Los Angeles Lakers continues to swirl.
At this point, the notion of the Lakers trading away the former All-Star is all but a forgone conclusion, the only question left is what team will play the part of a willing trade partner? After all, Westbrook’s $47 million contract is enough to discourage even the most interested of parties.
But, where there’s a will, there’s a way. And according to Nick Wright, that way is through the Brooklyn Nets, who themselves are navigating through a mini-crisis. According to Wright, a deal to send Westbrook back to the Eastern Conference makes perfect sense and would see Kyrie Irving teaming up with his former teammate LeBron James in Los Angeles.
“Only logical solution is a sign & trade: Kyrie for Russ. KD & Russ reunion + Kyrie & LeBron reunion. I suppose the Lakers might also throw in a pick or two. Send it in, Pelinka!” Wright Tweeted on April 24.
Irving hasn’t won a championship since his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers playing alongside LeBron James, although there has never been any indication from either party that they would be interested in playing together again.
Irving Sees Himself in Brooklyn Next Season
Following the Nets getting swept by the Boston Celtics, Irving faced questions about his short-term future from the media in the ensuing post-game press conference. Upon the conclusion of the post-season, Irving will need to decide on how he wants to approach his contract situation, as he has a player option that he could pick up, or he could opt out and renegotiate a longer-term deal to remain with the Nets.
“In terms of my extension, I don’t really plan on going anywhere. This is added motivation for our franchise to be at the top of the league for the next few years, and I’m just looking forward to the summer and just building with our guys here,” Irving said before continuing, “But when I say I’m here with Kevin, I think that really entails us managing this franchise together alongside Joe Tsai and Sean Marks, and just our group of family members that we have in our locker room, in our organization.”
However, anybody who has followed Irving’s career knows that until he picks up his player option, or agrees on a new deal, there’s always a chance that he finds interest in a new situation, and that situation could indeed be the Lakers.
Westbrook Hints at Lakers Exit
Westbrook endured a torrid time with the Lakers this season. The former star guard was often tasked with playing a style of basketball that limited his impact on games, didn’t have the necessary spacing around him to drive the lane, and his relationship with the fanbase quickly turned sour.
It’s hard to see this marriage continuing beyond the off-season – for either party. Westbrook, for his part, has generally stayed quiet on the constant trade rumors surrounding his future, but on April 26, a Lakers fan noticed the star guard had deleted all traces of his Lakers tenure from his Instagram account.
Russ has deleted all his photos with the Lakers. 😟
Of course, if Westbrook truly wanted out of Los Angeles by any means necessary, he could simply decline his player option and enter free agency, but that would mean leaving $47 million on the table, and nobody would do that.
So, the trade rumors will continue, and Westbrook will be linked with every team that even remotely shows a need for a starting guard. But by removing the Lakers’ presence from his social media profile, Westbrook has sent a resounding message that he no longer wants to wear the purple and gold. All that’s left is to wait for the news that a trade has been agreed – if one is ever agreed.
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Proposed Blockbuster Sees Lakers Landing Former LeBron James Teammate