Proposed 4-Team Blockbuster Changes NBA Landscape, Makes Lakers Contenders

LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers

Getty LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers

Despite all of the rumors, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets are nowhere near an agreement for Kyrie Irving.

Trading for superstar players is never easy, especially when their contracts are of significant value. Of course, another part of the problem is the Nets’ reluctance to take Westbrook as part of the deal, given his poor performances last season and his $47 million contract for next season.

Luckily, the trade machine seems to have all the answers, although it does involve four teams, and projects to be a little on the wild side – yet it solves every teams most pressing issue, while landing everybody the star they covet the most.

  • Brooklyn Nets gets: Russell Westbrook, Julius Randle, Derrick Rose

  • Utah Jazz gets: Kevin Durant

  • New York Knicks get: Donovan Mitchell

  • Los Angeles Lakers get: Kyrie Irving, Patrick Beverley

Of course, draft picks will be included in this type of mega-deal, with the Utah Jazz and Nets likely taking back a couple of first-rounders in return for parting ways with their franchise-level talents.


LeBron Wants the Lakers to Trade Westbrook

After a dreadful first season in Los Angeles, it seems that Westbrook’s immediate future is away from the Lakers, especially given how quickly his relationship with the fans deteriorated towards the end of last season.

During a July 11 episode of ESPN’S Get Up, Brian Windhorst spoke about Westbrook and LeBron’s relationship, noting how the situation is deteriorating, as the star guard is clearly aware of LeBron’s wishes to trade him for Kyrie Irving.

“A year ago, everything LeBron and Westbrook did, they were like arm-in-arm throughout the entire lead up to the season. So there’s no doubt about the erosion in their relationship here. We know that Westbrook, at the end of the season, spoke about LeBron and Anthony Davis paying lip service in letting him play his game. We also know that of course, LeBron wants the roster upgraded to include Kyrie Irving, and that means trading Westbrook,” Windhorst said during the episode.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like the Nets are interested in acquiring Westbrook as part of a trade for Irving, which is why additional teams may be required to get the deal over the line.


Westbrook Fires Agent

For all the rhetoric about making his second season in Los Angeles a successful one, Westbrook has begun to make moves of his own, as he begins to look for opportunties elsewhere in the league.

After working together for 14 years, Westbrook has fired his agent, Thad Foucher, as the pair continued to disagree on his best option moving forwards. Following the split between the star guard and agent, Foucher released a statement via ESPN, with him citing irecconsilable differences between the pair.

“My belief is that this type of transaction only serves to diminish Russell’s value and his best option is to stay with the Lakers, embrace the starting role and support that Darvin Ham publicly offered. Russell is a first-ballot Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame player and will prove that again before he is retired.

Unfortunately, irreconcilable differences exist as to his best pathway forward and we are no longer working together. I wish Russell and his family the very best,” Foucher wrote.

So, it would seem that Westbrook has gotten LeBron’s hint, and is looking for a way out of Lakerland, and will make sure to explore every potential avenue before re-commiting to Los Angeles for the coming season.

 

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