Despite the Lakers announcing Westbrook as their starting point guard and the Pacers declaring Turner to be their starting center, there’s still a good chance both may be traded for each other before the start of the season.
The Lakers and Pacers trade is still likely to happen because it’s a trade both teams need to top off a successful offseason and stay laser focused on their respective strategies, which is win now for Los Angeles and tank for Indiana. Frankly, the Lakers don’t want to start the season with rookie coach Darvin Ham trying to rehabilitate Russell Westbrook and the Pacers have nothing to gain by starting the season with Turner and Hield still on the roster.
With the Lakers’ regular season opening October 18th and the Pacers on October 19th, the two teams have a little over three weeks to haggle their way to a mutually acceptable deal, most likely including two first rounders. This is a trade that benefits both teams and needs to be made now rather than dragging into the season. The two sides are too close for a deal this important to fail because of a pick swap or protection on a second pick.
But even if the Pacers stubbornly stand firm and demand two unprotected picks, the Lakers need to make this trade. It’s their only move right now to open up a legitimate albeit small championship window for this season. Just as importantly, trading Westbrook for Turner and Hield puts the Lakers in a stronger position to pull off a possible midseason Irving trade with the Nets, should they struggle out-of-the-gate and look to move Kyrie.
The Nets currently don’t have a starting center but have long coveted Myles Turner as the prototype modern center. Should Nets’ chaos occur, the Lakers would be better positioned to take advantage of the opportunity. Nobody knows if Kyrie is going to be available but being able to offer Turner and Hield instead of Westbrook would probably win the trade for L.A. In fact, Lakers probably have no chance at swapping Russ for Kyrie,
No matter how much they like to talk about cap space, the Lakers know there’s no way they can create the amount of cap space needed to sign a superstar in free agency, which means their only option is trade for one. Come the trade deadline, teams will know the Lakers have to trade Russ, which will reduce what they will offer. The odds of a great trade appearing aren’t worth the risk of disaster Russ and the current roster represent.
Right now, the correct strategic response by the Lakers is to step back and see how camp turns out and specifically how Russ is working. Considering what’s at stake, I hope and expect to see positive reports from the Lakers. Regardless of intent, those camp reports will affect negotiations between the two teams, especially if things turn rocky with Russ. The start of the season is miles away in the condensed landscape of camp and preseason.
Everything the Lakers have done this season has been done assuming a Westbrook trade would fix the size and shooting issues. Rob now has three weeks to pull off the Pacers’ trade and win the Lakers’ summer and future.
Frankly, the more I think about how camp reports could affect the Westbrook trade negotiations, the less surprised I would be to see the Lakers and Pacers pull off the Westbrook trade. Trade would not only give them a long shot shot at #18 this season but the perfect package to trade for Kyrie at the trade deadline,
Lakers will trade Russ before allowing bad reports to come out of camp. Expect glowing praise for Russ and hot shooting from everybody. Once trade’s done, then the truth will come out. Lakers desperately want Russ to be gone. Everything else has been posturing and treating a future HOF player with respect.
LeBron Comments on Mini-Camp?
https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/1573782623276519425
That’s his thoughts on bringing back 1 and done which pushes Bronny back a year. It’s an interesting proposition, also its always been a bad rule. An 18 year ild can buy a gun, vote, work anyhere that will have them…but not the NBA. silly.
Naw…he was tweeting all throughout the OSU/WISC game yesterday. He’s talking about going back to play football.
Oh. Well, good luck to him if he goes that route.
Wait? Russell Westbrook at the grand opening of his store in Los Angeles?
https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsApp/status/1573856729162457096
Boycott that frigging place and his car dealerships too.
Reports are that Russ attended LeBron’s camp. Russ probably traveled north from San Diego to the opening of his store in LA after the Lakers concluded their workout for the day. I hope I am wrong; I hope that Russ left LeBron’s camp, having just learned that he was to be traded soon, and that is why he was at his store. But I doubt that.
Relatedly, I do not believe the Pacers will lower their demands for two unprotected first-round picks. And I don’t blame them. Given how far out the Lakers’s pick are, the Pacers would be foolish to accept any protections.
Thanks for the update, Wes. There’s a point where Westbrook screws up the Lakers chances to win and Turner and Hield screw up the Pacers chances to lose when both teams will come to agreement.
I agree Pacers have the leverage and Lakers need to make this move. Nothing in camp is going to convince them that Russ will work but they could quickly see that nothing was going to be different. It’s a free look right now so they’ll take it but there’s still 3 weeks beore season starts.
There’s also a faction of the Lakers brain trust that thinks it’s OK to sacrifice this season to have cap space and draft picks next summer. Problem is cap space is not enough to get a third star and the free agent class is subpar.
The path to a third star be it Kyrie or anybody is via trade so you get their Bird rights and can extend them. Lakers need to trade for Turner and Hield and stop there to avoid paying a tax this season, which would keep them from being a repeat offender for luxury taxes.
Extend Turner 1+1 and that would five LAL 2 guaranteed years of all four players to win a championship.
Tom I hope youre right but I just dont see it happening. Maybe if it were actually just Rob calling the shots? Maybe.
There’s no incentive for the pacers to lower their demand. I think the Lakers will have to either include both picks or ride this out into the season…I’m guessing the latter. Probably time to update those Laker Big 3 articles from this time last year…lol