Lakers Have ‘On going’ Trade Talks: Report

Rob Pelinka, Los Angeles Lakers

Getty Rob Pelinka of the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Los Angeles Lakers aren’t done looking for ways to improve their roster, whether that be via a Russell Westbrook trade, or looking for some veteran talent they can acquire for salary and draft picks.

According to a September 14 article by The Athletic’s Tony Jones, one of the avenues Los Angeles is exploring is a trade with the Utah Jazz – something which has been well documented over the past month. However, it would seem that those trade discussions are still ongoing, as both sides try to reach an agreement that suits their needs.

“And the front office isn’t done taking trade calls. League sources indicate a market for Bogdanovic at the very least, of which there is significant interest for the 6-foot-8 shooting forward. But, the Jazz at this point doesn’t appear to be particularly close to a trade that could land them even more assets and consolidate the roster, although there are ongoing talks with the Los Angeles Lakers,” Jones wrote.

Of course, we’re yet to hear what an actual framework for a trade could look like, although it’s widely considered that Westbrook would have to be part of a deal, as his salary would be used as a filler, while the Lakers are also expected to throw in either one or both of their 2027 and 2029 first-round draft picks.


Lakers Pricing Themselves Out of a Trade

While talks may be ongoing between the two Western Conference franchises, there have been rumblings that Los Angeles has continually priced themselves out of making a deal – including previous discussions with the Jazz’ front office.

On September 10, Jones reported that the Jazz and Lakers had been in discussions surrounding a deal, but neither was willing to budge on their initial asking price and as such, both left the negotiating table.

“They’ve been talking to the Lakers. The Jazz made an offer to the Lakers. The Lakers made a counteroffer to the Jazz. Those two offers were far apart, and I don’t know that there’s going to be enough of a gap to be bridged in order for a trade to happen there.

I can tell you that the Jazz were seeking one of Los Angeles’ first-round picks, but the asking price for that first-round pick is probably too much for what the Jazz are willing to pay,” Jones said when appearing on a September 10 episode of The Drive with Spencer Checketts.

Yet, with Jones’ latest information, it’s fair to assume that both sides are willing to continue discussions, as they’re each other’s best chance of getting a deal done – however, Los Angeles should take heed of the New York Knicks‘ struggles when trying to acquire Donovan Mitchell, as their dilly-dallying saw the Cleveland Cavaliers swoop in a close a trade out of nowhere. 

Westbrook Trade Considered Worst in a Decade

Last season, the Lakers sent shockwaves throughout the league when they announced the acquisition of Russell Westbrook via trade – although, there were some legitimate concerns about how he would fit alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis – concerns that later proved to be well-founded.

Now, just a single season later, many believe the deal to be among the worst trades in the last decade. On September 14, Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz released an article that also ranked the Westbrook trade among the biggest mistakes in recent memory, with the analyst even going as far as saying only the Brooklyn Nets’ addition of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett worked out worse.

“When you can take some key pieces off a championship team, package them a draft pick and exchange them for a ball-dominant, non-shooting, past-his-prime point guard on the worst contract in the NBA, you’ve just got to do it.

The trade that brought Westbrook to the Lakers isn’t just the most regrettable of the past three years, but possibly the worst since the 2013 Brooklyn Nets debacle. It’s a move Los Angeles has yet to recover from, as Westbrook’s $47.1 million salary for 2022-23 is the second-highest in the NBA behind only that of Stephen Curry,” Swartz wrote on September 14.

Westbrook averaged 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game last season – yet it was his limited shooting ability that truly hurt the Lakers, as their offense became stagnant and far too predictable while the guard was on the floor. However, there will still be teams around the league that believe Westbrook has something to offer, and his first step to joining one of those teams is to find he was out of Los Angeles – so it will be interesting to see if the Lakers and Jazz can eventually agree on a deal.

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