Russell Westbrook Trade Idea: Should Magic Strike Deal With Lakers?

It may not be for the reason you think.

Jeremy Brener | May 25, 2022

Russell Westbrook Trade Idea: Should Magic Strike Deal With Lakers? /

It's no secret that the Los Angeles Lakers are trying to trade Russell Westbrook this offseason.

Russell Westbrook

The only issue is, there doesn't seem to be much interest among the 29 other teams in the NBA to take on a player making one of the richest checks in the league who doesn't play like it.

Assuming Westbrook opts into his player option this summer, he'll make over $47 million before he becomes a free agent in 2023. That's about $573,944 per game!

Considering the fact that the Lakers were 31-51 and missed the playoffs last season, Westbrook isn't exactly worth however much he's making, yet there should be interest from the Orlando Magic in acquiring him ... it just may not be for the reason you think.

According to The Athletic, other teams would look to acquire a first-round pick attached to Westbrook in order to take on his contract.

For a team like the Magic at the early stages of a rebuild, adding as many picks as possible is the route the team needs to go.

It might be a costly first-round pick, but considering the Magic aren't spending a whole lot of money right now, there's cash needing to be spent.

John Hammond

Jeff Weltman

The Lakers are adamant about not including a first-round pick in any Westbrook deal, but if there's no interest around the league, they might be forced to. The Lakers have to make some changes to their roster this summer, especially with LeBron James keeping that championship window open, and that change begins with Westbrook.

Published May 25, 2022

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.