The Los Angeles Lakers still are working on trading Russell Westbrook ahead of the 2022-23 NBA season. Donovan Mitchell has been heavily linked in trade rumors to the New York Knicks, but the Utah Jazz haven’t reached an agreement yet.
Could this all factor in together? It appears the answer: yes.
According to NBA reporter Marc Stein, the Los Angeles Lakers are expected to be involved in a Donovan Mitchell trade, whether the All-Star guard is dealt to the New York Knicks or to a different team.
“If the Knicks manage to win the trade race for Utah’s Donovan Mitchell, or even if another team unexpectedly beats them to Mitchell, league sources say there’s a decent chance that the Lakers will be involved in the deal.”
The Lakers recently traded for Patrick Beverley — providing a 3-and-D impact at point guard. Westbrook is all the more expendable as a result, but there is a need for the Lakers to add more complementary talents around LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
By engaging in a trade with the Jazz as a third or fourth team in a Mitchell deal, the Lakers could send out Westbrook’s contract with multiple future draft assets attached. A shooting threat like Bojan Bogdanovic or Evan Fournier could potentially be key parts of a return.
“The two future first-round picks that the Lakers possess in 2027 and 2029 are the kind of top-shelf draft picks that Jazz CEO Danny Ainge is believed to covet. Russell Westbrook’s $47 million expiring contract and those picks could be the Lakers’ entree to a potential three-team swap … depending on the players that would land in Los Angeles.”
Other teams that continue to be linked as a potential Westbrook trade suitor include the Indiana Pacers and San Antonio Spurs. Both franchises have veteran players that could fit nicely alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis as immediate upgrades.
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