Lakers Would Still Like To Move Russell Westbrook Before The Trade Deadline On Thursday

After the news broke on Friday that Kyrie Irving requested a trade from the Nets, Los Angeles were interested in trading for the superstar. One player they wanted to ship off in a potential deal is Russell Westbrook. However, the Nets traded Irving to the Dallas Mavericks and the Lakers still would like to move Westbrook before the trade deadline if it were possible. They have until Thursday at 3:00pm EST to do so. 

The Lakers have already been reported saying that they’ll likely make another move before the deadline. Their front-office does not want to waste another season where LeBron James is playing at an elite level. Irving’s preferred trade destination was the Lakers, but Brooklyn’s owner Joe Tsai had no intention of sending him their.

With Irving in Dallas and the Lakers still wanting to make a move, they’ll have to look elsewhere for another superstar or all-star caliber player. California Sports Betting sites have the Lakers at (+2500) to win the Finals this season.

“The Nets asked for Austin Reaves and other assets, but the Lakers never really countered—they stayed firm with an offer of Russell Westbrook and those 2 first-round picks.”@ShamsCharania says Nets did not hear from Lakers on Sunday, the day of the Kyrie trade 😬#RunItBack pic.twitter.com/LJgj5jEIHJ

— FanDuel TV (@FanDuelTV) February 6, 2023

Will the Lakers find a trade partner willing to take on Russell Westbrook before the deadline?

In 51 games played this season for the Lakers, Russell Westbrook is averaging (15.7) points, (6.2) rebounds, and a team-leading (7.5) assists per game. Head coach Darvin Ham transitioned Westbrook to being the Lakers sixth-man this season and it’s helped their second until keep the team in games while starters rest.

The Lakers are in a difficult situation because Westbrook has a hefty expiring contract that would likely involve at least three or four players in return to match the salary. A Lakers beat-write Kyle Goon reported that the Lakers options are limited now.

Only a handful of teams have the type of assets the the Lakers are looking to add and might be willing to trade. Names from the Jazz being mentioned are Mike Conley and Jarred Vanderbilt. San Antonio’s Josh Richardson and even Fred VanVleet of the Raptors.

With the front-court superstars the Lakers already have, adding an elite-shooting backcourt player could be massive to their playoff hopes. The trade deadline ends this Thursday at 3:00pm and we’ll have to see if the Lakers make any moves happen or not before it’s over.