Could Spurs Trade Help Salvage LeBron James' Lakers?
The Los Angeles Lakers needed to undergo some offseason changes after finishing with just a 33-49 record last season. The team failed to even qualify for the final play-in spot in the Western Conference standings.
With LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the fold, failing to achieve a high degree of success is unacceptable. Much blame has fallen on Russell Westbrook. The underachievement of a team goes well beyond one player, but regardless, there's no denying his inability to adjust to his newest team.
Westbrook finished the 2021-22 season with averages of 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 7.1 assists. Wait a minute, that's good, right? Yes, on the surface. But look deeper. His output of 0.844 points per possession ranked last among all 27 players who logged at least 1,400 total possessions.
There is a common thought that trading Westbrook sooner rather than later is the Lakers' best course of action. There's been optimism about a potential trade for Kyrie Irving given the latest turmoil surrounding the Brooklyn Nets.
Regardless, no trade for Irving has transpired. Could the Lakers look to teams like the San Antonio Spurs to negotiate a trade that ends the painful Westbrook saga? While some options could involve a three-team swap for Irving to land in Los Angeles, there are simpler straight up options, too.
In a trade speculation piece, NBA Analysis Network constructed three hypothetical Russell Westbrook deals to help the Lakers to salvage LeBron James' tenure. Among the deals was a Spurs trade that would land them a 2027 first-round pick (unprotected) to take on Westbrook while sending out Jakob Poeltl, Doug McDermott, and Josh Richardson.
San Antonio Spurs Receive: Russell Westbrook, 2027 First-Round Pick (LAL)
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: C Jakob Poeltl, F Doug McDermott, G/F Josh Richardson
The Lakers have been unwilling to include two first-round picks in Westbrook trade negotiations. They've commonly believed that Westbrook's expiring contract is an asset for the recipient since it's an expiring deal.
Given the Spurs are in the midst of a rebuild, they would surely swiftly negotiate a buyout with Westbrook — making it so he never suits up for the team after a trade. A common practice has been for a player to mostly just give back money in the amount of their projected next salary.
For a player earning $47.1 million, that would be a lot of money to pay just to go sign elsewhere. The Spurs would likely haggle with the Lakers to get another first-round pick or at least a pick swap out of a trade return. It's especially the case when considering Jakob Poeltl is included in this trade package.
For the Lakers, there's a lot to like about this trade idea. They could revert back to playing James at point guard and maximizing the size of their unit. With Anthony Davis as the only big in the unit, there'd be a lot of floor spacing for the team to reignite the incredible pick-and-roll tandem they won a title relying on.
Having Poeltl in their depth chart would help the Lakers to maintain competent center play even when there are injuries. Considering Davis' track record, that's a wise method of insulating them from potential issues.
You can follow Grant Afseth on Twitter at @GrantAfseth.
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