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The LA Lakers are reportedly interested in Indiana Pacers' Malcolm Brogdon. They are willing to part ways with a first-round pick, Talen Horton-Tucker and Russell Westbrook to get him.
It's no surprise that the Lakers are willing to get rid of Westbrook. He just had his worst season since his sophomore year in the NBA. Westbrook averaged 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game, and shot under 30% from 3-point range in the 2021-22 season. He was also second in turnovers.
The Lakers have set their sights on Brogdon, a former Rookie of the Year who shot 50-40-90 in 2019.
According to ESPN's Jonathan Givony, the Lakers' offer was laughed at and rejected by the Pacers, who reportedly had better offers on the table.
Givony said on "The Lowe Post":
"They’re being active ... They're calling Indiana and saying, 'How do you feel about Westbrook and Talen Horton-Tucker and our 2026 first-rounder?'
"And they just get a nice chuckle and said, 'No, thank you. We've got better deals on the table than that.'"
The LA Lakers have made inquiries on the open market despite the lack of assets at their disposal. They have zero picks in the upcoming NBA draft, and most of their players are not attractive propositions to the rest of the league.
The Lakers are banking on Anthony Davis remaining healthy next season. They cannot afford to have another mediocre year when LeBron James is still playing at a high level.
LA Lakers could send Russell Westbrook to the Charlotte Hornets
Many are aware of Michael Jordan's fascination with Russell Westbrook, who is also signed up to the Jordan Brand. Most NBA teams don't want Westbrook in their lineup, but Jordan's Charlotte Hornets are reportedly still interested.
As reported by NBA insider Marc Stein, the Hornets want to dump salaries to create cap room for Miles Bridges' extension. This rumor was backed by The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor, who stated that moving long-term salaries in order to onboard Westbrook was not the worst option.
As mentioned earlier, Laker fans will be happy to see the back of Russell Westbrook and his contract after his struggles last season. It won't be a surprise if he ends up in a different uniform next season.
