Getty Russell Westbrook, Los Angeles Lakers
They might still be searching for their first win of the season, but the Los Angeles Lakers should avoid making a panic trade involving Russell Westbrook.
Well, that’s the opinion of Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes, who wrote about the potential for a Myles Turner and Buddy Hield trade in his October 28 article. By now, we all know the framework of what that potential deal would look like, but to reiterate, it would look something like this:
Lakers Receive: Myles Turner and Buddy Hield
Pacers Receive: Russell Westbrook, a 2027 first-round draft pick, and a 2029 first-round draft pick.
Buddy Hield Tonight:
▫️25 points
▫️10/17 FG
▫️5/9 3P
Myles Turner Tonight:
▫️27 points
▫️10 rebounds
▫️5 blocks
MAKE THE TRADE ROB PELINKA!
“This is still a deal the Lakers should avoid. Their fans will clamor for it because an 0-4 start means the 2022-23 season is already circling the drain…But, objectively, it doesn’t improve the team enough to justify the cost of surrendering 2027 and 2029 first-rounders…The fit between Turner and Anthony Davis up front could be dicey, and if the misguided Lakers somehow believe this deal will get them into playoff position, there’s still the matter of Hield giving opposing offenses an obvious weak point to attack in a postseason series,” Hughes wrote.
Still, the Lakers-Pacers trade has long been discussed as the most logical option for potentially parting ways with Westbrook, but in fairness, if the Lakers front office thought the deal was a slam dunk, the trade would’ve happened months ago.
Westbrook Shows Signs of Life Coming Off The Bench
On October 28, Westbrook assumed a bench role for the Lakers, as they fell to their fifth straight defeat of the season, this time it was a 102-111 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
However, that game was unquestionably Westbrook’s best showing of the young season, with the 33-year-old guard providing his team with 18 points, eight rebounds, and three assists in 32 minutes of gameplay. Speaking to the media during his post-game press conference, Westbrook discussed his mindset coming into the game, and how he adapted his approach when coming off the bench.
Hear from Russell Westbrook after scoring 18 points in the loss to the Timberwolves.
“Mentality didn’t change. Just preparation is different obviously, for me. The game doesn’t change. It’s still basketball — just play and compete. Bring energy on both ends…From Day 1, I’ve said I’m a guy that’s willing to do whatever for the team. I’ll sacrifice whatever needs to be sacrificed. Parts of my game I’ve done for years to accommodate whatever it is the coach needs me to do,” Westbrook said.
While Westbrook is likely unhappy with having to accept a bench role, the early signs are this might be the Lakers’ best chance of getting the elite-level performance fans were hoping for when the team traded for him during the summer of 2021.
LeBron James Blamed For Lakers Early Struggles
Rob Pelinka is unquestionably at fault for the Lakers’ current plight, after all, it’s his job to construct a roster capable of contending for an NBA championship, and over the last two seasons, that hasn’t been the case.
However, according to Rob Parker, who was speaking on an October 28 episode of Fox Sports Radio’s ‘The Odd Couple with Chris Broussard,’ LeBron James also deserves his fair share of the blame for the team’s current plight.
“The Los Angeles Lakers, a storied and fabled basketball franchise, turned over everything to you. The keys, the future, whatever. They got in bed with LeBron (James) and they said ‘LeBron, we’ll trade away everybody. All the promising kids we drafted, everybody. We want to win now, we’re gonna do whatever it takes…We’ll go get Anthony Davis.’
And now, he’s acting like they’re taking him for granted and they don’t wanna do anything for him? All they’ve done is bend over backward for LeBron James since he got to LA! They’ve got to be gymnasts at this point, Rob Pelinka, everybody…Stop it LeBron…This is what you wanted. Now, eat it, you made the mess, now eat it and stop blaming other people. The Lakers have done enough for you,” Parker said during an October 27 episode of The Odd Couple with Chris Broussard.
As things stand, the Lakers have far too many issues throughout their roster to be considered championship contenders, but with so much time between now and the February trade deadline, there is plenty of scope for things to change and improve.