The acquisition of Russell Westbrook last summer made most people believe that the Los Angeles Lakers could finally reclaim their throne in the 2021-22 NBA season. With the "Big Three" of Westbrook, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis, the Lakers immediately became one of the heavy favorites to fully dominate the Western Conference and win the 2022 NBA championship title. Unfortunately, things didn't go as the Lakers expected.
Westbrook struggled to become consistent on both ends of the floor and is clearly having a hard time making himself fit with James and Davis on the court.
The Rumored Lakers-Rockets Trade
After their experiment turned into a massive failure, rumors have started to circulate that the Lakers would try to get rid of Westbrook before the 2022 NBA trade deadline. Trading Westbrook and his massive salary would be a tough task for GM Rob Pelinka and the Lakers' front office, but there's one team that has expressed willingness in making a deal with the Purple and Gold – the Houston Rockets.
Earlier this season, there were growing speculations that the Rockets were open to trading John Wall for Westbrook. However, to convince them to make a deal, the Rockets want the Lakers to give up their 2027 first-round pick.
The Klutch Sports Group Influence
According to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, it is highly unlikely for the Lakers to sacrifice a future first-rounder in the potential deal that would send Westbrook to Space City in exchange for Wall. However, the Lakers may consider doing it if James wants to bring Wall, who is also being represented by Rich Paul of Klutch Sports Group, to Los Angeles.
"If LeBron James decides that fellow Klutch Sports client John Wall could be a better fit and is willing to push extremely hard for Westbrook's exit, the Lakers might consider a deal with the Houston Rockets," Pincus wrote.
Intel On John Wall's Condition
While the addition of Westbrook is already doing more harm than good for the Lakers, swapping him for Wall also comes with a huge risk. Aside from the fact that he's also owed a huge amount of money until next season, Wall also hasn't played a single game since the 2020-21 NBA season. The good news is since Wall is under the same agent as James, the Lakers would have reliable intel about his condition before they engage in a blockbuster deal with the Lakers.
Though he hasn't seen on-court action this season, Wall is currently 100 percent healthy and ready to play.
Proposed Blockbuster Trade Idea
If the Lakers and the Rockets decide to push through with the trade, they may consider involving other players to make the deal more interesting. In a previous article, Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer came up with a hypothetical blockbuster trade idea that would benefit the Lakers and the Rockets. In the proposed trade scenario, the Lakers would be sending Westbrook, Talen Horton-Tucker, and a future first-round pick to the Rockets in exchange for Wall and Eric Gordon.
The potential deal won't only enable the Lakers to replace Westbrook with another experienced point guard, but they would also be acquiring a solid veteran role player who could improve their outside shooting in Gordon.
]]>The Inquisitr
