It's not a secret that the Russell Westbrook experiment was far from a success for the Los Angeles Lakers. His on-court chemistry with LeBron James and Anthony Davis was nowhere to be found in limited minutes, and it doesn't seem like it'll get any better in year two.
However, given Westbrook's contract situation, trading him was near impossible. No one on his right mind was going to absorb a massive $47 million deal unless it came with big draft compensation.
Nonetheless, Kyrie Irving's situation with the Brooklyn Nets has been a light at the end of the tunnel for Rob Pelinka and company. Now, they can finally find a potential suitor for Westbrook while landing another All-Star caliber player in return.
NBA Rumors: Lakers And Nets Are Discussing A Russell Westbrook-Kyrie Irving Trade
"The Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets are actively engaged in discussions on a trade package that would send star point guard Russell Westbrook to Brooklyn in exchange for star point guard Kyrie Irving," Chis Haynes reported. "There’s palpable optimism that an agreement can be struck between the two sides this offseason, but there remain a few hurdles, sources said."
Lakers Don't Want To Give Up Multiple Picks For Kyrie
The hurdle Haynes talks about is non-other than draft compensation. According to Brian Lewis of The New York Post, the Lakers are hesitant to trade away multiple first-round picks just to ditch Westbrook:
"The Lakers are desperate to move Russell Westbrook and his gargantuan $47 million contract for Irving, but are hesitating to include the multiple draft picks the Nets would want for taking on all that money," Lewis reported.
They Must Play The Waiting Game
But the Lakers don't need to make a move right now. They can always play the waiting game, especially with the Nets reportedly desperate to get rid of Kyrie. According to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, his trade value is dropping by the day:
"As I've talked to the executives, they believe the price for Kyrie Irving is going down," Windhorst said. "Before when the Nets were considering trades, they had considered keeping the team at a certain level with Durant. Now that Durant is likely going to leave the team, the price for Kyrie Irving on a rental situation is going to drop."
At the end of the day, it all points out that the Lakers will once again catch a massive break. Kyrie is most likely going to be a Laker and they won't have to pay Russell Westbrook anymore. As for the Nets, well... there's not much to say.
