Lakers need to trade the farm for Westbrook

[Clayton]

If I'm Westbrook, I'm moving out East. If his heart is in LA then thats a slum dunk but Id move out East to a big market and have people come to me.

 

[ChrisGar15]

Westbrook will sign in LA. That's most likely WHERE he wants to be.

Of course there are better teams for him from a basketball perspective. But if you're the Lakers you have to look into it. IF you really don't think RW will attract other talent I'm not sure I can agree with that.

I'm not saying make the trade today. I'm saying you should have the phone lines working and know what OKC plans to do because when they decide to move him, it will be fast. They clearly aren't going to get market value. But I don't see a loss for LA in losing Russell and Ingram.

I guess you guys value unproven talent much more than I do.

After what Durant did, I think Westbrook will be chasing a championship. That isn't happening in LA. (and if they do a trade like you say -- and he leaves -- they just set back their rebuilding program by 4 years)

 

[DJ Fieri]

Do it. We have no need for Russell if we sign RW in the offseason and Ingram is talented but no sure fire sure thing.

G-Westbrook
G-Clarkson
F-Deng
F-Randle
C-Mozgov

is a nice starting 5 and might just compete for 7-8 seed.

 

[shopson67]

This thread is a major fail. Westbrook isn't going to sign an extension anywhere. He WILL be a free agent next summer. If he wants to come to LA, they can sign him then without losing any assets. THEN you trade Russell for another piece around Westbrook, not waste him trading for him.

 

[Bulletz]

Agree he's not staying in OKC, so they should be looking to shop him, but LAL or any other team...why give up the farm when they can wait a season?

I'm not saying I wouldn't trade, but I wouldn't be too generous...OKC is in the worse need position.

Yep

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Westbrook will sign in LA. That's most likely WHERE he wants to be.

Of course there are better teams for him from a basketball perspective. But if you're the Lakers you have to look into it. IF you really don't think RW will attract other talent I'm not sure I can agree with that.

I'm not saying make the trade today. I'm saying you should have the phone lines working and know what OKC plans to do because when they decide to move him, it will be fast. They clearly aren't going to get market value. But I don't see a loss for LA in losing Russell and Ingram.

I guess you guys value unproven talent much more than I do.

Going home...I think he most likely wants to win a title to be honest

Attracting other talent...as a 30-35 win team...no I don't.

Working the phones,etc...agree, but I don't trade both my best young assets...one or the other.

Unproven talent value...that's the nature of the draft...at one point the man we are talking about was unproven.

IMO...the Lakers should be interested in Westbrook, but I don't think they need to be in a quick fix mode to rebuild the team...imo, it's too late for that.

 

[LogicMan]

Westbrook will go where he can win a title. I think he will go east, where he can win and where he can get the max amount. But if I am OKC i would trade him now, even if it is just a first round pick or two.

 

[Beengay fudgepackers]

He's NOT coming back to OKC.

Cough up Deangelo, Ingram, and a first rounder. Make it happen.

That worked well with Dwight Howard, didn't it?

 

[Beengay fudgepackers]

Westbrook will go where he can win a title. I think he will go east, where he can win and where he can get the max amount. But if I am OKC i would trade him now, even if it is just a first round pick or two.

Chicago will give you Rondo and a first.

 

[Clayton]

This thread is a major fail. Westbrook isn't going to sign an extension anywhere. He WILL be a free agent next summer. If he wants to come to LA, they can sign him then without losing any assets. THEN you trade Russell for another piece around Westbrook, not waste him trading for him.

Is Westbrook really going to waste a year of his prime? Is OKC just going to sit back and lose all value? Seems unlikely.

 

[ChrisGar15]

Is Westbrook really going to waste a year of his prime? Is OKC just going to sit back and lose all value? Seems unlikely.

On the other hand, it would be stupid to trade Westbrook if there is a decent chance that he will stay after next summer. We can guess -- but no one on "SportsHoopla" really know what's inside his head.

 

[Clayton]

On the other hand, it would be stupid to trade Westbrook if there is a decent chance that he will stay after next summer. We can guess -- but no one on "SportsHoopla" really know what's inside his head.

Sure, but teams have proven that they'll take a chance on that kind of stupid before time and time again. Its a gamble but what other choices do teams have? I think the only way there isnt a trade is if everyone is convinced he is going to the same team (likely Lakers)

 

[lakersrule]

This thread is a major fail. Westbrook isn't going to sign an extension anywhere. He WILL be a free agent next summer. If he wants to come to LA, they can sign him then without losing any assets. THEN you trade Russell for another piece around Westbrook, not waste him trading for him.

Yup. What a disaster that would be to reset these last few years with a bad case scenario of trading some of the youth and then not being able to resign Westbrook. I hope Jimmy, as a team owner, can see long term.

 

[SDGuy73]

Westbrook isn't exactly old, and he's that alpha player you lack.

They'll move him, and you'll miss out. He's a GUARANTEE. NONE of your young players are. You'd be pretty foolish to not see what you can make happen.

W

 

[SDGuy73]

Westbrook isn't exactly old, and he's that alpha player you lack.

They'll move him, and you'll miss out. He's a GUARANTEE. NONE of your young players are. You'd be pretty foolish to not see what you can make happen.

Why would Westbrook want to go play for a shitty Laker team? He could go team up else where

 

[Davis_Mike]

Lakers would be better off keeping the young core for a few seasons, hoping they develop over trading away 2-3 good young pieces.

 

[shopson67]

Is Westbrook really going to waste a year of his prime? Is OKC just going to sit back and lose all value? Seems unlikely.

Even if he is traded elsewhere, he is still not going to sign an extension. If he isn't willing to go to LA in free agency, he's not going to be willing to stay in LA in free agency if they trade for him earlier.

 

[flyerhawk]

First off. The Lakers don't have a 1st round pick to trade next year, unless they get a top 3 pick. So you are suggesting that they give up this year's #2 pick, most likely their first round pick in 2018 and Russell? And you think RW is going to want to play for that team?

Catch-22 for the Lakers. They would need to give up too much to get Westbrook.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

He's NOT coming back to OKC.

Cough up Deangelo, Ingram, and a first rounder. Make it happen.

Bull fucking shit - not without a contract extension I wouldn't. It took three years to build up those draft picks and all of the players that would have built a title contender are already signed. If Westbrook pulls a Dwight Howard, then the Lakers would have to start all over and Westbook is a great player but too old to be willing to wait on the Lakers reboot their rebuilding process that was gutted just to take him. I might be alone in my theory here - but I wouldn't trade all of my picks for the guy without something

 

[flyerhawk]

Bull fucking shit - not without a contract extension I wouldn't. It took three years to build up those draft picks and all of the players that would have built a title contender are already signed. If Westbrook pulls a Dwight Howard, then the Lakers would have to start all over and Westbook is a great player but too old to be willing to wait on the Lakers reboot their rebuilding process that was gutted just to take him. I might be alone in my theory here - but I wouldn't trade all of my picks for the guy without something

Agree completely. It doesn't make any sense to do that.