Why the Lakers Will Receive Multiple Offers to Trade for Russell Westbrook!

There will be multiple teams like the Pacers and Hornets looking to dump rotation players on long-term contracts for future cap space who would love to trade for Russell Westbrook’s $47 million expiring contract this summer.

Trading for Westbrook’s gigantic expiring contract offers rebuilding teams the perfect opportunity to move the multi-year contracts of rotation players whose timelines don’t match their rebuild to create future cap space. Westbrook not only offers teams like the Pacers and Hornets a way to dump long-term salary but to do so without having to include sweeteners like first draft picks. Instead, they might even be able to acquire draft capital.

For example, the Charlotte Hornets could dump the salaries of Gordon Hayward, Kelly Oubre, Jr., and Mason Plumlee to the Lakers in return for Russell Westbrook without having to give up a draft pick as compensation. Since the Lakers need a point guard to replace Westbrook, they might be willing to include a first round draft picks if the Hornets would substitute point guard Terry Rozier instead of Kelly Oubre and Mason Plumlee.

Similarly, the Indiana Pacers could dump the salaries of Malcolm Brogdon and Buddy Hield in a straight up trade to the Lakers in return for Russell Westbrook without having to give up a first round pick as compensation. Since the Lakers also had serious interest in stretch center Myles Turner, they might be willing to include 21-year old Talen Horton-Tucker and a first round draft pick if the Hornets would also included Myles Turner.

While teams like the OKC Thunder, New York Knicks, Houston Rockets, and Detroit Pistons could also be interested in trading for Westbrook, the Indiana Pacers and Charlotte Hornets are the most likely trading partners. Now that the Lakers’, Pacers’ and Hornets’ NBA seasons have ended, Pelinka should be on the phone pushing the Pacers for a Turner, Brogdon, and Hield trade and the Hornets for a Hayward, Rozier, and Oubre trade.

The Lakers are fortunate there are a half dozen teams looking to dump rotation players on long-term contracts for future cap space who’d love to trade for Russell Westbrook’s $47 million expiring contract this summer.