Lakers Trade Rumors: Moving Russell Westbrook? More Ben Simmons? What can LA do ahead of time
December 15 marks the unofficial start of the trading season, as a significant portion of the free agents who signed with teams prior to this season are now eligible to trade. That means we’re about to hear a lot of Lakers fans asking, “Hey, can we catch that guy?”
Over the course of nearly 30 games of the 2021-22 season, Los Angeles’ play has been rather unattractive, leading to speculation that general manager Rob Pelinka may be looking to straighten things out before the transaction deadline. The Lakers are just over ,500 (15-13) and sit sixth in the Western Conference standings heading into Wednesday night’s game against the Mavericks.
Here’s good news for purple and yellow: The Lakers have won five of their last seven games, and LeBron James has been fantastic since returning from an early-season injury. Frank Vogel has been forced to play various lineups because of injuries and COVID-19 issues, but Los Angeles has found a way to keep itself on the boundaries of the play-in tournament.
The bad news? The Lakers failed to take advantage of a soft table earlier in the year, and they currently have the toughest schedule left in the NBA, each Tankathon. They also have many players within the league’s health and safety protocols, and there will be many injury-related absences during the course of the game.
Simply put, this Los Angeles team doesn’t look like a championship contender compared to the Warriors or Suns – at least not yet. Can the Lakers find a real difference-maker before the February 10 deadline?
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Lakers trade rumours: Which players could Los Angeles be targeting?
The Lakers are one of the teams interested in 76ers star Ben Simmons and Pistons forward Jerami Grant, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania. Either of those players would certainly qualify as a major acquisition for Los Angeles, but it’s hard to envision how Pelinka could build a deal that benefits both parties.
Simmons’ salary for the 2021-22 season is more than $33 million, and the Lakers are unlikely to match unless willing to part with James, Anthony Davis or Russell Westbrook. Grant’s salary is just over $20 million, but Los Angeles won’t be the only team asking Detroit about his status. Other potential suitors could easily beat any of the Lakers’ offers because of their lack of compelling properties (more on that below).
A blockbuster deal doesn’t seem realistic unless a third team jumps in and completing those deals is always complicated. The Lakers will have to seek help on a level below Simmons and Grant. Role players like Robert Covington, Buddy Hield and Terrence Ross can be reached for the right price, though those can be in high demand depending on how the market evolves.
THAN: 10 players most likely to be traded this season
Will the Lakers trade with Russell Westbrook? What about Talen Horton-Tucker?
Los Angeles has “held internal discussions on commercial scenarios” for Westbrook, by Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. However, it’s unlikely the Lakers will end the Westbrook test so quickly because he will earn more than $91 million over the next two seasons, assuming he accepts his player selection for 2022. -23. Fischer also noted that the Sixers don’t have Westbrook on their “hope back list”, so a Simmons deal for Westbrook is undisputed.
Horton-Tucker, meanwhile, could totally move ahead of time, as he only made $9.5 million. (He cannot be traded until January 15 because he has been contracted to use the Bird rights with a gain of more than 20% from last season.) Horton-Tucker is averaging 11.3 high points. career best per game this season, but he has seen a dramatic drop in his effectiveness. However, he is only 21 years old, so he could be a great pickup for a rebuilding team.
Westbrook might be in the rumors because, well, he’s Westbrook, but Horton-Tucker is the Lakers’ most valuable commercial chip.
THAN: How Simmons Will Fit into Trail Blazers’ Damian Lillard
Why the Lakers may be limited in trade talks
Aside from Horton-Tucker, which of the players on the Lakers’ roster are appealing to general managers? Sure, any team would want to add James and Davis, but they’re not going anywhere. Is Kendrick Nunn pushing someone towards the phone? He hasn’t even played a single game this season.
Los Angeles also has a wage matching problem. Westbrook ($44.2 million), James ($41.2 million) and Davis ($35.4 million) are making big, but there’s a big drop after the “Big Three.” The Lakers have 10 players paid between $900,000 and $2.7 million this season, and they’re mostly veterans with minimal commercial value.
Oh, and the draft… not much in that cabinet. The Lakers sent their best young players and drafters to get Davis. The Stepien Rule states that teams cannot trade their first pick for consecutive years, so they cannot send a first-round participant before 2027. (Perhaps Pelinka should ask Thunder GM Sam Presti see if he can borrow some).
The bottom line: Unless Pelinka can get super creative, the Lakers lineup will look the same in the coming months.
