Lakers 'insist' Russell Westbrook Trade Options Exist Besides Brooklyn & Indiana
The Lakers offseason has been punctuated with endless speculation and zero tangible action. This isn't to say that the well sourced reporters who have revealed some details of the map that is the Lakers Russell Westbrook trade exploration are off base, but rather, those reports speak to the challenging topography that LA is unable, or unwilling, to conquer to accomplish their goal of ending the Russ adventure.
Insiders have provided intel throughout the summer of the Lakers trade talks with the Nets regarding Kyrie Irving. The same goes for a potential deal that would send Russ to Indiana in exchange for Myles Turner and Buddy Hield. Both scenarios, which by all accounts, are mutually exclusive, appear to hinge on Rob Pelinka willing to throw in significant draft capital (LA's 2027 & 2029 first-round picks).
However, according to The LA Times' Dan Woike, the Lakers believe their Russell Westbrook situation, which was recently labeled as "untenable" by veteran NBA insider David Aldridge, can be solved with trade partners beyond Indiana or Brooklyn.
"Lakers sources insist they have options beyond the ones that have been reported (Irving, Buddy Hield, Myles Turner and others). Time should better reveal those once the bigger moves get made."
As Woike notes, the summer has boiled down to waiting game when it comes to the Lakers and Russell Westbrook. Perhaps the franchise does have some more suitable options in terms of jettisoning Russ based on discussions with other teams, but as has been the case all summer, it is pure, unfettered, Westbrook speculation.
