Getty Russell Westbrook (left), an unlikely future Laker.
It would be the trade that shakes up the Western Conference (and the NBA in general), and in that regard it could land on the front doorstep of the champion Lakers—the team that was the top seed in the West by a handy margin and easily set aside its conference foes in the playoffs, winning three series by a combined 12-3 margin.
But the chances of the Lakers themselves getting involved in the sweepstakes that could be coming for Houston point guard Russell Westbrook are minimal. L.A. just does not have the assets—and probably does not have the desire—to get into talks about Westbrook with the Thunder.
Westbrook, traded from Oklahoma City in the summer of 2019, is pushing to escape from Houston, where the Rockets have pushed out both their coach (Mike D’Antoni) and their general manager (Daryl Morey).
Rockets’ Russell Westbrook wants out of Houston, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
According to league sources, in fact, we can expect the Lakers to stay far away.
“Russ has not been great for chemistry in every place he has been,” one general manager told Heavy.com. “He is a good guy in the locker room and other players love him but on the floor, he is going to put an end to your playbook. He is going to dominate your offense in a way your coaches and other players are not going to like. There are some teams that will want to get involved but the Lakers would not be one.”
ALL the latest Los Angeles Lakers news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Lakers newsletter here!
Sign up for the Heavy on Lakers Newsletter!
The Knicks, Clippers, and Hornets are among the teams reported to be interested in a Westbrook trade.
Rockets, Clippers trade talk of Paul George, Robert Covington, Russ Westbrook & Rockets’ 2023 1st round pick has been discussed, I’ve heard.
Rockets perspective: “Insane deal.”
Russell Westbrook Would Be a Bad Fit Next to LeBron James, Anthony Davis
The Lakers are in the market for a third star, and on paper, Westbrook makes some sense. He is from Southern California and went to UCLA for college ball. He can certainly score, averaging 27.2 points per game last year with the Rockets.
But with LeBron James and Anthony Davis already in place, and already firmed up as the team’s two 25-plus-points-per-game scorers, whomever the team brought in would have to be secure in his role as No. 3 on the option chart. Westbrook has struggled even to accept a No. 2 role. It would be difficult to see how he could co-exist with the two Lakers primary scorers.
Even if the Lakers did want Westbrook, though, they would be limited in their ability to do so. Westbrook is slated to make $41 million next year, and under NBA rules, the Lakers would need to come close to matching that payout, unless a third team was involved. Westbrook is owed more than $125 million over the next three years, and bringing him to the Lakers would erase any ability for the team to attack the free-agent market in 2021.
A Bad Breakup of Westbrook, Houston Rockets Is Big for Lakers
The mere fact that Westbrook is unhappy in Houston is a boon to the Lakers, even if they never get involved in talks for him.
Houston was, after all, the Lakers’ second-round opponent in the West playoffs, and was widely considered to be L.A.’s biggest threat to win the conference, outside of the Clippers. The Rockets won the series opener, but the Lakers won four straight games after that.
The Rockets committed to a small-ball style of play under coach Mike D’Antoni and general manager Daryl Morey. The unorthodox style of play would, many felt, put the Lakers (and others) at a disadvantage, but that disadvantage never really materialized. Even in the opening round, the underdog Thunder took Houston to seven games before eventually losing.
In the offseason, long-simmering tensions between owner Tillman Fertitta and D’Antoni caused D’Antoni to walk away from the team and Morey followed D’Antoni out of town shortly thereafter. That has left the team looking for a restart, and has left stars like Westbrook and Harden considering a run for the exits.
Westbrook, though, wanted to make clear that he was not opposed to playing with Harden. That suggestion as made by ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, a charge that Westbrook called “fabricated” on an Instagram post.
Still, it has become increasingly clear that one of the Lakers’ big West rivals is headed for a serious tumble.
READ NEXT: NBA Mock Draft: Big Name Goes No. 1, Lakers Land Duke Star