Getty Lakers guard Russell Westbrook
The Chicago Bulls have reportedly made a final decision on a potential trade for Los Angeles Lakers point guard Russell Westbrook.
According to a December 9 report from Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, the Bulls aren’t interested in acquiring Westbrook, who has been on the trade block since last season.
“So while the Lakers might be looking to make a big trade and have their eyes on the Bulls’ roster, the feeling isn’t mutual,” Cowley wrote. “According to a source, executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas has no interest in acquiring Russell Westbrook and his expiring contract, even if it means adding draft picks.”
Westbrook is on an expiring contract. The 2016-17 MVP has played well since coming off the bench, averaging 15.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 8.0 assists as a reserve. However, the Bulls already have a plethora of guards and don’t need another ball-dominant player.
Report: Lakers Interested in DeMar DeRozan & Nikola Vucevic
The Lakers want to acquire All-Stars DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic from the Bulls, according to a December 10 report from Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. Teams are “watching Chicago very closely” as the Bulls continue to struggle this season.
“Everyone is watching Chicago very closely,” one NBA source told Pincus. “They’re so poorly constructed, they need to blow it up.”
DeRozan signed a three-year, $85 million contract with the Bulls in August 2021 as part of a sign-and-trade deal with the San Antonio Spurs. The All-NBA guard is making $27.3 million this season and will have earned more than $257 million in NBA money when his contract ends following the 2023-24 season.
Vucevic, meanwhile, is in the final year of his contract. The 32-year-old signed a four-year, $100 million deal with the Orlando Magic in July 2019. Vucevic, who was acquired by the Bulls from the Magic in March 2021, is due $22 million this season and will have accumulated more than $154 million in his career once he enters unrestricted free agency in July 2023.
The Lakers could trade Westbrook, Patrick Beverley and their draft picks in 2027 and 2029 to the Bulls for DeRozan and Vucevic. That deal is eligible to be made under CBA rules. However, as Cowley reported, Chicago is out on Westbrook, who is 34.
Report: Lakers Will Only Trade Their 2 Draft Picks for Championship-Altering Players
Shams Charania of The Athletic reported on December 12 that the Lakers will only trade their two future draft picks for championship-altering players. Los Angeles is 11-15 on the season.
“Moving Westbrook to the sixth-man role has worked brilliantly for first-time head coach Darvin Ham,” Charania wrote. “In addition, the Lakers have made clear they’re prioritizing championship-altering players for their trade-eligible two first-round picks (2027, 2029). It remains to be seen who could become available as the season goes on.”
The NBA trade market begins to heat up after December 15, which is when a majority of recently signed free agents can be traded. The Lakers are shopping Westbrook, Beverley and Kendrick Nunn. All three guards become unrestricted free agents after this season.
“The Lakers’ updated timeline on beginning to explore trade options is Dec. 15, and they are weighing three different paths, multiple team sources told The Athletic,” Jovan Buha of The Athletic wrote on December 1. “Here’s what you need to know: Path 1 is to trade Russell Westbrook, plus a pick or two, for a star or multiplayer haul. Path 2 is to trade some combination of Patrick Beverley, Kendrick Nunn and picks (one first-round and/or multiple second-round picks) for role players who better address needs and upgrade the rotation. Path 3 would be two separate deals: one with Westbrook plus one first-round pick, another using a Beverley-Nunn-pick package.”
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