The Los Angeles Lakers were one of the most active teams on the trade market in the 2021 offseason. On the night of the 2021 NBA Draft, the Lakers successfully acquired All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook and two future second-round selections by sending a package that includes Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and the No. 22 pick to the Washington Wizards.
With the addition of a third star alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers have succeeded to widen the gap between them and the Los Angeles Clippers.
Did The Clippers Try To Acquire Russell Westbrook?
After the blockbuster trade that sent Russell Westbrook to the Lakers, some people were wondering if the Clippers made efforts to acquire "Brodie" before the Wizards agreed to make a deal with the Lakers. Zach Lowe of ESPN finally answered that question in a recent episode of The Lowe Post podcast. Though they were in need of a major backcourt upgrade during that time, Lowe revealed that the Clippers were "never interested" in acquiring Westbrook.
"The Clippers were never interested in Russell Westbrook," Lowe said, as quoted by RealGM . "They were a rumored Russell Westbrook trade in a few places whenever that happened. They were never interested. That was never a real thing. I think they value their optionality too much."
Clippers Respond To Russell Westbrook-To-Lakers Blockbuster
Though they refused to compete against the Lakers in their pursuit of Westbrook, it didn’t mean that the Clippers stopped from finding ways to upgrade their backcourt. Aside from bringing Reggie Jackson back in the 2021 free agency, the Clippers responded with the Lakers’ move by sending Patrick Beverley, Rajon Rondo, and Daniel Oturu to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for Eric Bledsoe.
Bledsoe may not be as good as Westbrook, but he’s a veteran point guard with plenty of playoff experience.
Passing On Russell Westbrook Makes Sense For Clippers
Though it made their Los Angeles rival, the Lakers, a more formidable team to face in a best-of-seven series, passing on the opportunity to acquire a point guard of Westbrook’s caliber may end up being more beneficial for the Clippers. Westbrook may be one of the best active floor generals in the league right now but like Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, he also needs to ball in hands to excel on the court.
Though he’s not an All-Star, Bledsoe’s experience playing with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton in Milwaukee allows him to learn how to move in an off-ball capacity, making him a much better fit with Leonard and George.
Clippers Not Expected To Target John Wall
Despite having Bledsoe and Jackson on their roster, some people think that the Clippers are still eyeing to upgrade their starting point guard position. Aside from Westbrook, another player that is frequently linked to the Clippers since the start of the 2021 offseason is veteran point guard John Wall of the Houston Rockets.
Wall is currently working with the Rockets to find a trade for him. However, though he’s available on the market, Lowe said in his podcast that the Clippers don’t have any plan ot trading for Wall.
