As the start of the 2021-22 NBA season draws closer, several crazy trade ideas continue to surface in the league. These include a hypothetical blockbuster deal between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Cleveland Cavaliers involving former UCLA Bruins teammates, Russell Westbrook and Kevin Love, and Collin Sexton.
In the proposed trade scenario by Kenneth Teape of NBA Analysis Network, the Cavaliers would be sending a package that includes Love, Sexton, and Cedi Osman to the Lakers in exchange for Westbrook and Kent Bazemore.
Lakers Turn Russell Westbrook Into Three Intriguing Pieces
As of now, there’s no indication that the Lakers are planning to trade Westbrook anytime soon. The Lakers are only expected to consider such a trade scenario if Westbrook proves to be a bad fit alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. By sending Westbrook to Cleveland, the Lakers would be acquiring three intriguing pieces in Love, Westbrook, and Cedi Osman.
Sexton and Love could join James and Davis in the starting lineup, while Osman could boost the Lakers’ second unit and serve as the primary backup for LeBron.
Kevin Love Finally Reunites With LeBron James
It would definitely be intriguing to see Love reuniting with his former Cavaliers teammate, LeBron, in Los Angeles. Love and James played together in Cleveland for four seasons where they made four consecutive appearances in the NBA Finals and won an NBA championship title in 2016.
Love may have gone through plenty of ups and downs in the past years but when he’s 100 percent healthy, he would be a valuable sidekick for James in the 2021-22 NBA season. Love would give the Lakers another veteran big man who is capable of knocking down shots from beyond the arc.
Why The Cavaliers Would Make The Trade
The proposed trade deal would be worth exploring for the Cavaliers if they don’t have any plan of giving Sexton a massive contract extension. Instead of losing him as a free agent without getting anything in return, the hypothetical blockbuster would allow them to use Sexton as the main trade chip to dump Love’s massive contract while acquiring an All-Star caliber point guard in Westbrook.
Bazemore may only be included in the deal for salary-matching purposes, but he could also be useful for the Cavaliers if they want to become a more competitive team next season.
Russell Westbrook Carries Cavaliers To 2022 NBA Playoffs
Westbrook won’t make the Cavaliers an instant title contender, but his potential arrival in Cleveland could help them speed up the timeline. Adding him to the core of Darius Garland, Isaac Okoro, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen would give the Cavaliers a better chance of returning to the playoffs in the 2021-22 NBA season.
In Westbrook, the Cavaliers would be getting a leader and a walking triple-double machine. Last season, he averaged 22.2 points, 11.5 rebounds, 11.7 assists, and 1.4 steals while shooting 43.9 percent from the field and 31.5 percent from beyond the arc, per ESPN.
