Getty Lakers point guard Russell Westbrook passes the ball
Bill Simmons of The Ringer believes a Los Angeles Lakers rival should trade their $163 million superstar for Russell Westbrook.
On November 1, Simmons tweeted that he would trade De’Aaron Fox to the Lakers for Westbrook and unprotected first-round picks in 2027 and 2029.
Just zoomed thru Kings-Hornets, Dennis Smith Jr. being a solid rotation guy now is def stupefying. Anyway // Mitchell was so good for Sac down the stretch that it begs this question…
What happens if the Lakers offer Russ’s expiring and their 2027 first to Sac for D Fox?
Answer: Sac says no unless the 2027/2029 firsts are on the table unprotected.
My take: I’d actually trade Fox for Russ + those 2 Lakers firsts. I’m getting 2023 cap space + two massive assets from a poorly run team, plus more Mitchell mins… I’m just in a better spot long-term.
Question if you’re running Sac…
What’s the ceiling of Fox? Is there any path to him being an All-Star or a top-35 guy? Can he ever be one of the best 8 guys at his position? I personally value those 2027/2029 Lakers picks more than Fox. It’s a good argument though.
Westbrook is in the final year of his contract. The Lakers have been trying to trade him for several months. They had conversations with the Indiana Pacers, Utah Jazz and San Antonio Spurs over the summer, league sources told Heavy.com, but no deal was agreed upon.
Simmons feels the Kings should give more minutes and offensive duties to Davion Mitchell. Fox is the starting point guard in Sacramento and one of the fastest players in the NBA. However, Simmons thinks the Kings would be wise to trade the lefty for Westbrook so they can create more cap space next summer, acquire future draft picks and unlock more minutes for Mitchell.
Fox Could Thrive With the Lakers
Fox, 24, has career averages of 19.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 6.2 assists while shooting 46.3% from the field, 32.1% from beyond the arc and 72.6% from the free-throw line. The Kentucky product has worked on his jumper since entering the league in 2017. He’s shooting a career-high 38.7% on 3-pointers this season.
A New Orleans native, Fox is like a younger version of Westbrook. He can get to the rim at will and finish in heavy traffic and is a blur in the open court. Fox is more of an efficient scorer than Westbrook, who is shooting just 34.3% from the field and 20.0% from beyond the arc this season. The Kings star has a career-effective field goal percentage of 50.1%. Westbrook, 33, is at 46.8% for his career.
Fox is off to a strong start this season, averaging 24.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists. The fifth overall pick in the 2017 draft is shooting a career-high 54.8% from the floor and has a player efficiency rating of 21.9. Fox is 18th in the NBA in points per game. The Lakers could use his scoring skills since they are struggling to put the ball in the basket. Los Angeles is second to last in the league in points per contest, averaging only 105.3.
NBA Exec: ‘The Lakers Are an Awful Shooting Team’
The Lakers, who are 1-5, are shooting only 26.6% from beyond the arc as a team this season, the worst percentage in the NBA. Fox isn’t a consistent 3-point shooter, as he shot only 29.7% on 3-pointers last season. That could be a reason why Los Angeles wouldn’t be interested in him.
Several NBA executives and agents around the league believe the Lakers will eventually trade Westbrook to the Pacers for shooting guard Buddy Hield and center Myles Turner.
“The Lakers are an awful shooting team,” one NBA executive told Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus. “They aren’t doing anything without some shooters who can really move the needle. Can the Pacers offer that? It’s certainly better what [the Lakers] have now.”
According to an October 3 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 the start of training camp.