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Russell Westbrook had the worst season of his career in his first year with the LA Lakers. He's set to earn $47 million next season if he opts in, which is the likeliest scenario. The Lakers are expected to explore potential trades involving the former NBA MVP this offseason.
However, one NBA executive believes the Lakers could have a tough time trading Westbrook, as his value is at an all-time low. The executive told Michael Scotto of HoopsHype that a deal could only be possible if a team wants to make a salary dump. He said:
"Right now, his trade value is extremely negative. All it takes, however, is one team to be desperate to add talent and have bad contracts to make it happen. The reality is that 95 percent of teams view that as a terrible contract right now. They're not doing that unless they're dumping a bunch of stuff."
Another NBA executive feels the same way about Westbrook. The executive noted that there would be teams interested in parting ways with a bad three-year contract in exchange for Westbrook's massive one-year deal.
Meanwhile, Scotto believes the Lakers and Houston Rockets could revisit a potential Westbrook swap for John Wall. The two teams discussed a possible trade at the deadline, but the Rockets balked after the Lakers reportedly did not want to attach a first-round pick with Westbrook. Scotto said:
"I'm certainly keeping an eye on Wall. He's been linked to the Lakers via trade talks for Westbrook this season... He's opting into the final year of his contract and will give the Rockets a chance to trade him, or his agency, Klutch Sports, is going to work on a buyout agreement before the start of next season ideally."
Possible destinations for LA Lakers' Russell Westbrook
Despite the perceived trade value of Russell Westbrook, the LA Lakers have been linked with a couple of potential teams for a possible deal. The first team rumored to be interested in acquiring Westbrook are the Indiana Pacers.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Pacers plan on rebuilding around Tyrese Haliburton. The team also reportedly wants to get rid of two huge contracts owed to Malcolm Brogdon and Buddy Hield. Brogdon has three years left on his deal, while Hield has a couple of years remaining.
Meanwhile, Marc Stein reported on Substack that the Charlotte Hornets are interested in the services of Russell Westbrook. Hornets owner Michael Jordan is a big fan of Westbrook, who has been an Air Jordan athlete since 2013. The Hornets also have a couple of huge contracts they might want to get rid of.
Gordon Hayward, who has been plagued by injuries since coming to Charlotte, has two years left on the $120 million deal he signed in 2020. Terry Rozier's four-year, $96 million extension, meanwhile, will kick in at the start of next season.
It remains to be seen what lies in store for the LA Lakers superstar.
Guess the Lakers players!
