NBA Trade Rumors: Russell Westbrook to Houston Rockets in exchange of 5-time All Star?

Russell Westbrook and the LA Lakers have continued to find themselves in the middle of the national spotlight for the pairing's floundering season.

With the NBA trade deadline approaching Feb. 10, many have wondered if the Lakers might try to move on from Westbrook. The problem is that the market seems challenging for a 33-year-old guard with a large contract.

However, according to NBA Insider Marc Stein, there might be one team that would take Westbrook "if the conditions are right." That team seems to be one Westbrook has played for.

“That team, surprisingly, is the Houston Rockets,” according to Stein.

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Russell Westbrook back to the Houston Rockets?

Los Angeles (22-23), tied for seventh in the Western Conference, acquired Russell Westbrook in an August trade with the Washington Wizards. But the experiment of adding a star player who could compliment LeBron James and Anthony Davis has been a disappointment.

With the struggles mounting, the noise surrounding Westbrook has gotten louder. Although many thought the Lakers could simply move on from Westbrook, the situation has become much more difficult than some have realized.

The 33-year-old guard has seen a rapid decline in his play this year, and his salary cap figure of $44.2 million creates some challenges to completing a trade. Not only does the veteran guard have a high salary figure this year, he also has a player option at the end of the year for $47 million.

If the Lakers do decide to attempt to pull off a trade with the Houston Rockets, they are most likely going to have to pair Westbrook with another young asset to entice the Rockets to take on his contract. Another challenge the Lakers will have to deal with is the fact that they don't have a first-round selection in this year's draft after the previous Davis trade.

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Westbrook has struggled to fit with the Lakers this year, and a fresh start could be what the talented guard needs.

Westbrook is averaging 18.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game and is also shooting 43.3%, including 30.4% from 3-point range.

Westbrook played for the Rockets in 2019-20, averaging 27.2 ppg in that one season.

The talented guard has been benched a number of times down the stretch of recent games, and it could be a sign his time in Los Angeles is running out quickly.