Should Brooklyn Nets accept an offer for Kyrie Irving which involves Russell Westbrook?

Russell Westbrook is having one of the worst seasons of his 14-year NBA career. The LA Lakers guard has had ups and downs in the 2022-23 season, but has played very poorly lately.

With the NBA trade deadline just around the corner, the former MVP may be shipped to Brooklyn if the Lakers decide to trade for Kyrie Irving. As controversial as Irving is, there is no doubt that he is a much better player.

While the Lakers would love to have Irving on their roster, the question is whether or not the Brooklyn Nets are willing to accept a deal that involves Westbrook.

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Should Brooklyn Nets accept a trade that involved Russell Westbrook?

The Lakers payroll is a huge mess in the 2022-23 season. Westbrook, who is averaging 15.7 points on 41.4% shooting, is the highest-paid player on the team. Not only that, but he's the second highest-paid player in the league, only behind Steph Curry.

For his services, the 2016-17 MVP will receive slightly under $47.1 million. To put it into perspective, LeBron James is paid $44.5 million this season, while Anthony Davis will receive just under $38 million.

Westbrook is paid more than LeBron in the current season (Image via Getty Images)

Russell's contract is huge and a big obstacle for the Brooklyn Nets. Considering that the Nets are above the luxury tax, they cannot simply swap Kyrie Irving for Westbrook. Instead, they have to add another player to the mix.

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Giving up one of the best point guards in the league and another player for Westbrook doesn't seem like a great idea. However, it's important to note that the Lakers guard is on an expiring contract.

Westbrook is on an expiring contract (Image via Getty Images)

While the point guard is overpaid, the Nets will have to keep him on the team for only a few more months. However, they should not accept a deal if they don't get any draft picks in return.

Furthermore, Joe Tsai should consult Kevin Durant before acquiring Russell Westbrook. Durant played with the guard in Oklahoma City and the two even made it to the NBA Finals in 2012.

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Kyrie Irving would drastically improve the LA Lakers

The LA Lakers are in a horrible situation and need to get on a win streak as soon as possible. Due to this, they should do all it takes to acquire Kyrie Irving from the Brooklyn Nets.

As controversial as Irving is, there is no doubt that he's a fantastic player and might be a missing piece for the Lakers.

Irving would drastically improve the Lakers (Image via Getty Images)

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The Lakers would upgrade Russell Westbrook to Irving, which would be incredible. LeBron James knows Irving too well and may even convince him to take a paycut to stay with the team for the long term.