Getty Lakers star Russell Westbrook
A Russell Westbrook trade that would see the Los Angeles Lakers acquire a $20 million shooting guard and $17 million center is “currently dead,” according to a July 22 report from Bob Kravitz and Shams Charania of The Athletic.
The Lakers are trying to trade Westbrook to the Indiana Pacers for Buddy Hield and Myles Turner. However, the Pacers are asking the Lakers to include a second first-round pick.
“A trade package that would have seen the Los Angeles Lakers trade Russell Westbrook and a first-rounder to the Indiana Pacers in return for Myles Turner and Buddy Hield is currently dead, sources tell The Athletic. The Pacers want a second first-round selection added to the deal, sources say,” Kravitz and Charania reported.
Westbrook picked up his $47.1 million player option with the Lakers for next season. The 2016-17 MVP and his longtime agent, Thad Foucher of Wasserman, parted ways on July 15. The Athletic’s Jovan Buha reported on July 18 that the split “caught several people around the Lakers off guard.”
Hield & Turner Have Been Linked to Lakers
Both Hield and Turner have been linked to the Lakers for the past few seasons. Los Angeles nearly acquired Hield from the Sacramento Kings last offseason. However, the organization chose to trade for Westbrook from the Washington Wizards instead. Meanwhile, the purple and gold “have long held an interest in Turner,” according to a July 9 report from Heavy’s Sean Deveney.
“Turner, for his part, has been open to a trade out of Indiana going back two years, and he was expecting to be dealt at last season’s deadline instead of Sabonis,” Deveney reported. “A source with knowledge of the situation told Heavy.com, ‘Of course he would be open to a trade to the Lakers.’
“The Lakers have long held an interest in Turner, but have lacked the assets to acquire him. With Indiana seeking to retool the roster and send away veterans for draft picks, though, L.A. is in much better position to get both him and Hield. Turner is in the final year of his contract at $17.5 million, and Hield has two years remaining, at $20.5 million this year and $18.5 million next year.”
Turner is a two-time blocks champion. He has career averages of 12.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 2.3 blocks with the Pacers while shooting 48.9% from the field, 34.9% from beyond the arc and 76.8% from the free-throw line.
Hield, meanwhile, is one of the greatest shooters in NBA history. He’s 50th all-time in made 3-pointers and has never shot below 36.0% from beyond the arc in a season. The 29-year-old Oklahoma product has career averages of 15.9 points and 4.3 rebounds in 468 regular-season games with the New Orleans Pelicans, Kings and Pacers while shooting 39.8% from deep.
Lakers Can’t Bring Westbrook Back
The Lakers can’t have Westbrook on the team next season. The nine-time All-Star shot 29.8% from beyond the arc last season. He was also second in the league in turnovers and had the sixth-worst effective field goal percentage.
Westbrook reportedly didn’t like being held accountable by Frank Vogel or any of the assistant coaches on the Lakers last season. Buha reported on July 20 that the veteran was contentious throughout the 2021-22 campaign in film sessions when coaches pointed out his mistakes.
“From stuff I heard last season, like during film sessions, he would, you know, push back on stuff that was very obvious of like, ‘Hey, you missed this defensive rotation.’ He did not like being the center of attention in those film sessions,” Buha said on The Athletic NBA Show.
The Lakers went 31-47 in Westbrook’s 78 appearances. LeBron James and Westbrook didn’t sit next to each other or say hello during Los Angeles’ Summer League game on July 8. James sat on the south baseline and Westbrook positioned himself beside the Lakers’ bench on the opposite sideline. Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register reported on July 15 that “several people within the Lakers organization acknowledged it was an awkward and tense moment between its two most high-profile superstars.”