Russell Westbrook, Lakers have a ‘common interest’ in finding a new goalkeeper for a new team’s off-season, report says

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Russell Westbrook He shot 5 of 17 from the field on Tuesday in a disappointing 109-104 home loss Dallas Mavericks. This performance was hardly atypical. Westbrook has, on 12 occasions, finished matches with more turnovers than field goals. He was sent off late in several matches due to his poor performance, and his overscore against the Mavericks (-8) was greater than the score Lakers He lost the match by (5). At 27-34, any slim hopes the Lakers still had to compete are quickly fading away. In the fairly near future, their focus should shift to next season.

If the two sides succeed in preparing for the next season, they will prepare for the next season separately. Bleacher Report Jake Fisher Reports suggest there is a “shared interest in Westbrook finding a new home this summer”, which could end one of the most disastrous experiences in Lakers history.

The Houston Rockets They were interested in a potential Westbrook-for-John Wall trade-off on the condition that the Lakers submit an adequate compensation bill, but according to Fisher, those talks “did not generate significant traction.” At the time, rumors suggested that the Rockets wanted a 2027 pick for the Lakers’ first round, or at least the right to swap picks that season. The Lakers were legally able to trade in only one first round by the deadline: either 2027 or 2028.

When the offseason arrives, the seven-year rule will allow the Lakers access to the 2029 first-round selection for trade purposes, and Westbrook himself will be on an expired contract. This will make it more tradable. There will be teams that have several long-term contracts on their books and are interested in trading Westbrook primarily in order to clear the 2023 space. If the Lakers pair both options, they will likely add a few more basic-caliber players.

An alternative discovered by Fisher would be to use an extension clause to waive Westbrook, but there would be little practical benefit in doing so. This approach would take Westbrook out of the team and allow them to spread his $47 million salary over the next three seasons, but even if they did, they wouldn’t be able to create actual space in 2022 because they LeBron James And the Anthony Davis They receive maximum salaries. What the Westbrook extension will do is prevent the Lakers from maximizing their impending resiliency in 2023 or using Westbrook’s salary as a tool for inappropriate trading.

If Westbrook were to leave this team in the off-season, he would come through with a deal. It seems that both sides want one. Now, all that remains is to find a partner.

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