Getty Lakers and Heat from the 2021-22 season
The Los Angeles Lakers have been urged to acquire a six-time All-Star and NBA champion for Russell Westbrook.
On October 24th, SI.com’s Ben Stinar tweeted that the Lakers should trade Westbrook to the Miami Heat for Kyle Lowry: “The Heat and Lakers swapping Westbrook and Lowry makes too much sense for both teams,” Stinar tweeted. “Miami would know how to use Russ. LA needs the shooting and stability of Lowry.”
The Heat and Lakers swapping Westbrook and Lowry makes too much sense for both teams ..
The Lakers and Heat wouldn’t be able to complete a Westbrook-Lowry trade straight up under CBA rules. Miami would have to cut an additional $11.5 million from its salary books.
One trade that could work would be the Heat sending Lowry and Duncan Robinson to the Lakers for Westbrook, who is in the final year of his contract. Los Angeles would acquire two shooters, while Miami would get a former MVP who has been linked to them in the past.
NBA Exec on Westbrook in Miami: ‘It Makes Sense’
According to a September 7th report from Ric Bucher of Fox Sports, the Heat are considered a landing spot for Westbrook since the franchise — led by Pat Riley — believes they can rehabilitate anyone.
“Even then, team executives and scouts could only come up with one potential landing spot: the Miami Heat. Team president Pat Riley has a history of cultivating fiery competitive players, from Alonzo Mourning to Brian Grant to Jimmy Butler,” Bucher wrote. “He hoped that point guard Kyle Lowry would be the finishing piece to another championship-caliber team last season, but after posting the best record in the East, the team lost to Boston in the conference finals. Lowry, plagued by several nagging injuries, played in only 10 of their 18 postseason contests and was a shell of himself, averaging 7.8 points on 29.1 percent shooting.
“Depending on how this season goes for the Heat in general and Lowry in particular, Westbrook might be a worthwhile gamble: ‘It makes sense,’ an Eastern Conference executive said. ‘Miami believes they can rehabilitate anyone.’ All that, of course, depends on Westbrook recognizing that he needs to be rehabilitated, that he needs to shift his perspective on who and where he is in his career.”
The Lakers, who tried to trade Westbrook all summer, have started this season 0-3. Westbrook has played poorly, averaging 10.3 points while shooting a putrid 28.9% from the field and 8.3% from beyond the arc.
According to Kirk Goldsberry of ESPN, Westbrook is 3-of-17 on jump shots this season. The future Hall of Famer took an ill-advised jumper with 18.0 seconds left on the shot clock and 30.2 seconds left in the game with the Lakers up 102-101 against the Portland Trail Blazers on October 23rd. Westbrook is the only player that has attempted a jump shot with under 30.0 seconds to go and 15+ seconds left on the shot clock with his team up by one possession in the last four seasons.
The Lakers Would Be More Dynamic on Offense With Lowry
Lowry isn’t the triple-double threat Westbrook is. However, the Philadelphia native can shoot from the perimeter and the Lakers need more shooters around LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Los Angeles is shooting just 21.2% as a team from beyond the arc to begin the season.
Lowry is a career 36.8% shooter from 3-point range. He made 144 3-pointers last season while shooting 37.7% from deep. The former Toronto Raptors star is the ideal point guard to pair next to James and Davis since he can make 3-pointers and doesn’t turn the ball over at a high rate. Lowry averages only 2.4 turnovers for his career. Meanwhile, Westbrook is at 4.1. The UCLA product was second in the NBA in turnovers last season, trailing only Atlanta Hawks superstar Trae Young.
The Lakers are unlikely to make a major trade before Thanksgiving, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Most pundits believe the purple and gold shouldn’t wait that long to move Westbrook.