Getty Lakers guard Russell Westbrook
Back in March, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report reported that the Los Angeles Lakers and Russell Westbrook have mutual interest in parting ways this offseason and “Ball Don’t Stop” has a trade idea involving the Phoenix Suns.
On May 16, “Ball Don’t Stop” urged the Lakers to trade Westbrook to the Suns for Chris Paul, who has a close relationship with LeBron James.
If Lakers offer the Suns Russell Westbrook for Chris Paul this summer, I’d take it if I’m the Suns.
If you neutralize Booker, the Suns aren’t going nowhere. Chris isn’t a scoring PG, he’s a pure point a floor general (what Lakers need) Suns need a guy who can get 25 and 8.
Westbrook averaged 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists while shooting 44.4% from the floor, 29.8% from beyond the arc and 66.7% from the free-throw line for the Lakers this season. Meanwhile, Paul put up 14.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 10.8 assists per game for the Suns while shooting 49.3% from the field, 31.7% from 3-point range and 83.7% from the charity stripe.
Westbrook has a player option worth $47,063,478 for next season, while Paul will make $28,400,000. Per CBA rules, the Lakers and Suns wouldn’t be able to complete a one-for-one trade involving Westbrook and Paul. Phoenix would have to send Los Angeles another player to match salaries.
Paul & Jae Crowder for Westbrook Would Work
The Lakers could trade Westbrook to the Suns for Paul and Jae Crowder. Crowder, who played 53 games with James on the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2017-18, will make $10,183,800 next season.
Paul and Crowder would fit well with James and Anthony Davis. They both can shoot from the perimeter and aren’t high turnover players.
Paul is a career 36.9% shooter from beyond the arc and averages 9.5 assists and 2.4 turnovers. Meanwhile, Crowder shoots 34.6% from 3-point range for his career and the Marquette product can guard point guards, shooting guards, small forwards and power forwards since he’s 6-foot-6 and 235 pounds.
Westbrook isn’t a great fit next to James and Davis since he’s not a good shooter from the perimeter. The one-time MVP shot 29.8% from beyond the arc this season and his effective field goal percentage of 47.6% was sixth-worst in the league. Westbrook was also second in the NBA in turnovers.
Even though Paul struggled in the 2022 Western Conference semifinals against the Dallas Mavericks, he would still be an upgrade over Westbrook since he can space the floor and makes better decisions with the ball in his hands. CP3 had an effective field goal percentage of 53.6% and finished with 702 assists and 153 turnovers this season.
However, it’s not set in stone that the Lakers will trade Westbrook this summer.
Westbrook Could Be Back with Lakers
According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, the Lakers have asked coaching candidates questions about Westbrook and how they would use the UCLA product in their system. It appears Los Angeles is preparing for the possibility of retaining Westbrook.
“More specifically, the notion of Russell Westbrook remaining part of their program is seeming more real all the time,” Amick reported. “Despite the widely held belief that the Lakers would find a way to trade Westbrook before the start of next season, sources say their coaching candidates have been asked to discuss how they would use him in their system during interviews. The takeaway for candidates, it seems, is that maximizing Westbrook’s presence after his disastrous 2021-22 season is considered an important part of this job.”
Per Dan Woike and Broderick Turner of the LA Times, Westbrook never respected Frank Vogel, who was fired on April 11. If the Lakers keep Westbrook, the new coach has to develop a good rapport with him.