NBA Trade Rumors: Russell Westbrook to the Lakers gains some steam

NBA Trade Rumors: Russell Westbrook to the Los Angeles Lakers is gaining steam.

The 2021 NBA Draft is just days away and many are anticipating quite a busy night – one that will officially spark the offseason and one that could be the breeding ground for several big trades that could end up shaping the league’s free agency period.

One team that is expected to be quite active over the next few weeks is the Los Angeles Lakers. After a failed title defense that ended with the team losing in the first round of the NBA Playoffs to the eventual Western Conference champions, the Lakers will be looking to signficantly upgrade their roster in the offseason.

And one way that many expect them to do so is via trade. Whether that’s a sign-and-trade or acquiring a player directly from the trade market, the expectation is that Los Angeles is going to do whatever they can to shake up their roster.

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One report that caught the eye of some suggested that the Lakers were interested in Russell Westbrook, who had a fine season with the Washington Wizards but perhaps isn’t the player that they believe is going to help take this team – along with Bradley Beal – to the next level.

Though, many, including myself, were quick to ignore that intial rumor. Westbrook on the Lakers, along with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. At least to me, it sounded more like an NBA 2K trade that one that could actually come to fruition.

However, it appears that there is at least some creedence to that possiblilty. Another report, stemming from The Action Network, suggests that a Westbrook to Los Angeles trade is only gaining steam and appears like something that could happen this offseason.

Westbrook on the Los Angeles Lakers

Even though Westbrook on the Lakers seems like a strang fit, it actually also makes a lot of sense. Westbrook is a player that could keep the pressure on the defense even when LeBron and/or AD are off the floor and could still be the center of a flowing offense.

There are concerns surrounding Westbrook and they revolve around his 3-point shooting and his efficiency. At times, he can be an inefficient offensive player. And that isn’t aided by the fact that he’s a career 31 percent shooter from deep.

Though, he is still a force on the offensive end and is a point guard that always has the defense on its heels. Quite frankly, that’s not something the Lakers had in another player not named LeBron or AD.

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And that’s probably what interests the Lakers in a potential deal. Depending on how the rest of the offseason falls, it wouldn’t be surprising for Los Angeles to revisit this idea at some point over the next few weeks. It may not be the Lakers’ plan A, but it certainly wouldn’t be a terrible plan C or D.

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