Getty Lakers GM Rob Pelinka (left) and head coach Darvin Ham
The Los Angeles Lakers could have acquired a $73 million small forward and $68 million All-Star.
According to Tony Jones of The Athletic, the Lakers had the opportunity to trade their 2027 and 2029 first-round picks to the Utah Jazz in exchange for Bojan Bogdanovic, Mike Conley, Rudy Gay and a 2023 first-round pick. The deal didn’t happen since Los Angeles didn’t want to part ways with its future draft picks.
@4evaslime Didn’t wanna come off those picks
Russell Westbrook would have been included in the trade. The Jazz are one of the few teams open to acquiring the 2016-17 MVP since he’s on an expiring contract.
The Lakers can still acquire Conley, Gay, Jordan Clarkson and Malik Beasley from Utah for Westbrook, but they can’t get Bogdanovic anymore. The swingman was traded to the Detroit Pistons for Saben Lee and Kelly Olynyk.
Bogdanovic would have been a terrific addition for the Lakers, who don’t have any shooters around All-Stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Bogdanovic hit 181 3s while shooting 38.7% for the Jazz last season in 69 games. The veteran is a career 39.3% shooter from beyond the arc, which is good for 24th among active players.
Jones: This Trade Would’ve Helped the Lakers Significantly
Jones, who covers the Jazz for The Athletic, believes the Lakers would have improved significantly had they acquired Conley, Bogdanovic and Gay for Westbrook.
@LakersTown23 @4evaslime @MostestShady I don’t agree with that. Get those two with lebron and Davis and they would have a chance. You’re giving lebron two shooters who can also dribble and pass. That would be significant
The Lakers could have started Conley, Patrick Beverley, Bogdanovic, James and Davis. That’s two shooters (Conley, Bogdanovic) and two elite defenders (Beverley, Davis) around James, who is still one of the best players in the NBA despite being 37.
Conley is a better shooter than Westbrook, making him the ideal point guard for the Lakers to start next to James and Davis. The Ohio State product made 169 shots from beyond the arc last season while shooting 40.8%. Meanwhile, Westbrook drilled only 79 shots from 3. The UCLA product shot 29.8% from 3-point land in 2021-22, and among 46 players to take at least 1,000 shots, Westbrook ranked 42nd in true shooting percentage.
The Lakers have started this season 0-3, with their losses coming against the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers and Portland Trail Blazers. Westbrook, 33, has played poorly in the first three games. The nine-time All-Star is averaging 10.3 points while shooting just 28.9% from the field and 8.3% from beyond the arc.
Los Angeles and Utah are expected to return to the negotiation table later this season on a potential trade centered around Westbrook, according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. The Lakers are interested in acquiring Conley and Jordan Clarkson, league sources told Heavy.com.
There Are 2 Other Teams the Lakers Could Trade Westbrook To
If the Lakers and Jazz can’t agree to a trade, Los Angeles can talk to the San Antonio Spurs and Indiana Pacers. The purple and gold can either acquire Buddy Hield and Myles Turner from Indiana or Josh Richardson, Doug McDermott and Jakob Poeltl from San Antonio.
According to an October 3rd report from Sam Amick, Shams Charania and Jovan Buha of The Athletic, the Lakers seriously considered sending Westbrook and unprotected first-round picks in 2027 and 2029 to the Pacers for Turner and Hield before training camp started. Charania also reported on October 24th that Los Angeles held preliminary trade discussions with San Antonio in recent weeks. The Lakers are interested in acquiring Richardson, who is in the final year of his contract.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on October 19th that a trade involving Westbrook isn’t likely to happen until after Thanksgiving.