Proposed Trade Lands Lakers $85 Million Star for Russell Westbrook

The Los Angeles Lakers are still looking for the perfect trade partner in the Russell Westbrook case. The veteran is coming off of a terrible season and he couldn’t help the Lakers make the play-in tournament. Moreover, his turnovers made everything worse and fans want him out of the franchise. The Lakers have been receiving some offers for Westbrook, but most of them also involve a first-round pick. Will Rob Pelinka give up on a first-rounder? He turned down the offer made by the Houston Rockets for this reason.

Great trade proposal

There have been several trade rumors about Pelinka’s next move. Kristian Winfield from the New York Daily News has another proposal and it revolves around the Indiana Pacers. Accordign to Winfield, the Lakers should trade Westbrook, Talen Horton-Tucker, and some draft picks to get Malcolm Brogdon and Buddy Hield.

“The Russell Westbrook trade to the Lakers was never a good idea, and to compound matters, Westbrook’s contract makes him difficult to trade: He will earn $47M after one of the worst statistical seasons of his career,” Winfield wrote. “But the Lakers have already proven they don’t need a third star: They won in the bubble with LeBron James and Anthony Davis – and a bunch of other pieces that fit. The Pacers have those pieces and should be able to trade Westbrook elsewhere for additional assets closer to the trade deadline or find an additional suitor to make this a three-team deal.”

These two would be great fits for the Lakers. Pelinka should be looking for great shooters and that’s what makes Brogdon and Hield good options for the franchise. Westbrook has better numbers than Brogdon, but he is not a good fit for the Lakers. He has career averages of 15.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in 333 games with the Milwaukee Bucks and Pacers.

Lakers to swap Russell Westbrook for Brogdon?

There’s one major problem though. Brogdon has a history of injuries and this may be a huge issue for the purple and gold.

“Brogdon fits for any team, however, that needs a player who can do three specific things: run the offense, hit open threes and defend multiple positions,” Winfield wrote. “If it sounds like a dream come true, here’s Brogdon’s nightmare: injuries. His games played sheet looks more like a lottery ticket (36, 56, 54, 64, 48) than a player available for a full 82-game season. That’s the risk a team’s going to have to take: A bet on Brogdon being healthy is a bet on a winning season. It also might be a bet on the piece that lifts a team to championship contention.”