Trade rumors surrounding Russell Westbrook and Kyrie Irving seem to have gone quiet, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen. ESPN’s Nick Friedell revisited the possibility of a trade happening between the LA Lakers and the Brooklyn Nets.
It’s been almost two months since the trade rumors about Westbrook and Irving emerged. Yet, nothing big has happened.
Part of the reason is the Lakers’ unwillingness to add picks to the package. Another reason is the Nets’ pickiness in their return package.
Both stars have caused controversies and issues for their current teams. For Westbrook, his role in Los Angeles has caused him to take most of the blame after their abysmal 2021-22 season. Irving’s vaccination status, on the other hand, made him miss most of last season.
Friedell spoke about Westbrook’s fate in Los Angeles – specifically, the trade between the former MVP and the seven-time All-Star.
“I think that was what the Nets were looking for all along – the two picks.” Friedell said. “But if those two picks that the Lakers would attach to Westbrook, to make the money work, I think that’s still a possibility down the line. But as always, it depends on what happens with Kevin Durant, and what his future holds in Brooklyn .
“Anything is possible, except for a KD-Russ reunion.”
Westbrook’s time with the Purple and Gold seems as though it will be short-lived. With the Lakers constantly pointing at Westbrook when something goes wrong, it looks like the best move for him is to be on a different team.
Why the Russell Westbrook experiment didn’t work for the Lakers
Westbrook thrives more on a fast-paced offense. Clearly, Frank Vogel’s half-court offensive scheme did not help him. This slowed him down, and he became more of a catch-and-shoot player while LeBron James ran the offense.
Everyone knows that the nine-time All-Star isn’t much of a threat from downtown. The Lakers should have known that even before trading for him, Westbrook is a career 30.5% shooter from the 3-point area.
The Lakers are in a tough spot. Although they have made reoster moves during the offseason, it doesn’t look good. Westbrook might get blamed again for a lot of things if he doesn’t get traded. His only option is to work on his jump shot to have a consistent role on Davin Ham’s system.
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