NBA Rumors: Jazz and Lakers Interested in a Russell Westbrook Trade
The Los Angeles Lakers lost their number 1 III games of the harden and rumors are already heating upward almost a possible swop with the UT Jazz involving pointedness safety device Earl Russell Westbrook.
The Lakers wanted to hold back until after Thanksgiving Day to merchandise Westbrook. The timing would sync upwards with the return of pointedness ward Dennis Schroder, who missed the pop out of the flavour with pollex surgery.
However, after an 0-3 start, the Lakers are reconsidering their options.
Obviously, there’s some signified of urgency,” forrard Susan B. Anthony Dwight Davis told the LA Times. “You don’t require to dig up yourself too giving of a hole. But we’ve got to continue even-keeled. We can’t get rattled or flustered and things like that.”
The winless Lakers commence a speedy two-game route head trip against the capital of Colorado Nuggets on Wednesday, before playing the North Star State Timberwolves on Friday.
Despite dropping the for the first time troika games of the season, the Lakers’ losing run did not affect the NBA futures market. The Lakers were +3000 betting odds to win the 2023 NBA title at the destruction of the preseason, and their electric current claim odds is the same according to DraftKings.
Teams Eyeing the Lakers’ First-Round Picks in 2027 and 2029
The Jazz make several veterans on their roster that they designate to switch sometime this season. The Jazz could sett unitedly a merchandise package with vets like peak safety Mike Conley, ward Jordan Clarkson, and frontward Rudy Gay in interchange for Westbrook and a geminate of first-round picks.
Lakers superior general manager Rob Pelinka has been reluctant to gift upwardly any future tense first-round picks as a sweetener inward any Westbrook trade. The Lakers coughed upwardly multiple first-rounders inward previous trades that brought Susan Anthony Jefferson Davis and Westbrook to the team. They only when have the rights to first-round picks inwards the eternal rest of this decennary inward 2027 and 2029.
The Brooklyn Nets, IN Pacers, and Queen City Hornets verbalised interest inward acquiring Westbrook, but any trade with the Lakers also included those in demand(p) first-round picks.
In the offseason, the Jazz reportedly offered the Lakers a trinity of vets including Bojan Bogdanovic, Conley and Gay positive a 2023 first-round pickaxe in change for Westbrook and 2 futurity first-round picks. The Lakers rejected the extend and the Jazz traded Bogdanovic to the Detroit Pistons. Bogdanovic is a career 39% 3-point shooter, and he’s lighting it up this flavor shot 51.7% from deep.
LeBron: “We Need Shooters”
A reticent LeBron James testament not criticize Westbrook inwards the media, but he was brutally honorable well-nigh the Lakers’ problems in a recent post gritty press conference.
We want shooters,” said James. “We can’t shoot a penny inward the ocean.”
Through the world-class three games — all losses — the Lakers shaft a paltry 21.2% from 3-point range. Westbrook shooter 1-for-12 from beyond the arc inwards three games this flavour for an appalling 8.3%. Overall this season, Westbrook connected on just 27.9% of all shots.
“We’re getting great looks, but it could also be teams giving us outstanding looks,” added James. “We’re not a team up that’s constructed of great shooting. ”
After a strong showing inwards the flavour opener when Westbrook knocked pull down 7-for-12 shots against the Golden State Warriors, he crack blanks with a 0-for-11 curtail against the Los Angeles Clippers including 0-for-6 from 3-point range.
In a two-point deprivation against the Portland Trail Blazers, Westbrook missed 11 shots and all deuce-ace of his 3-point attempts. At I dot later(a) inwards the 4th quarter, the Blazers left wing Westbrook widely unfastened to shoot. He pulled upward for a mid-range jump shot and even Lakers announcer Bill Macdonald responded with a “No! Russ, no!”
Trolls viciously nicknamed him “Westbrick” finally harden due to his poor outside shooting, but Westbrook lived up to his moniker inward the foremost calendar week of the season.
The Lakers have got plenty of slasher-type players that are great at attacking the basket, but they demand exact shooters. Trading Westbrook to the Jazz for Conley would drastically aid make full a shooting void. In the previous deuce seasons with the Jazz, Conley shaft 41.2% and 49.8% from 3-point land. Meanwhile this season, Clarkson connected on 40.6% of his treys.
I live for Bertrand Arthur William Russell Westbrook's grind clip decision-making pic.twitter.com/9juahOx59k
— Josh Paredes (@Josh810) October 23, 2022
Westbrook Doubtful Against capital of Colorado Nuggets
Westbrook tweaked his hamstring inward the net mettlesome of the preseason. He cited coming off the bench as the intellect for a tight hamstring. Head private instructor Darvin Ham wanted to try out with Westbrook coming cancelled the bench, but they did non render it out until the net preseason game. The short-lived try out lasted a twosome of transactions before Westbrook exited the game with a hamstring injury.
I’ve been doing the same thing for 14 years straight,” said Westbrook. “Honestly, i didn’t fifty-fifty know what to get along pregame. Being honest, I was trying to enter come out how to rest warm and loose.”
Westbook was listed as a game-time conclusion for the harden opener last-place week. He played, and started, against the Warriors scoring 19 points and adding 11 rebounds. However, he posted 1 of his worst games as a pro inward a red to the Clippers scoring simply deuce points in 27 minutes. In Sunday’s deprivation against the Trail Blazers, Westbrook scored 10 points inward 28 transactions of base time.
In trine games at place inwards Los Angeles this season, Westbrook averages 10.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game.
Westbrook was listed as dubitable against the Nuggets with a sore hamstring. He did not practice on Tuesday, but flew to Denver with the team.
The Lakers are a +5.5 underdog against the Nuggets this evening at Lucille Ball Arena in Denver.