Russell Westbrook Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Jazz, Knicks, Pacers Have Talked To Lakers About Westbrook

July 25th, 2022 at 9:57am CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz, Knicks, and Pacers are among the teams that have spoken to the Lakers about possible trades involving point guard Russell Westbrook and draft assets, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic.

The Lakers don’t appear to be close to making a deal with any of those teams, according to Charania, who notes that Westbrook trade talks could continue to take place over the remaining couple months of the offseason.

Because the cap hit on Westbrook’s expiring contract is so substantial ($47MM+), any team that acquires him would almost certainly have to send out at least two sizable contracts of its own. And since few teams can put together a package to match Westbrook’s salary without including at least one productive rotation player, potential trade partners are asking the Lakers for draft compensation in return for taking on Westbrook, who is coming off a disappointing year in Los Angeles.

The Lakers and Pacers have reportedly spoken about Buddy Hield and Myles Turner, but L.A. has been unwilling to meet Indiana’s asking price, which is believed to be two first-round picks. According to Bob Kravitz of The Athletic, the Lakers offered Westbrook, one first-rounder, and two second-round selections for Hield and Turner.

While they continue to gauge Donovan Mitchell‘s value on the trade market, the Jazz could offer some combination of veterans like Mike Conley ($22.68MM), Bojan Bogdanovic ($19.55MM), Jordan Clarkson ($13.34MM), and Rudy Gay ($6.18MM) in a deal for Westbrook and draft picks. Malik Beasley and Patrick Beverley are also potential Utah trade candidates who have eight-figure cap hits, though neither can be aggregated in a trade until September 6.

The Knicks’ possible high-priced trade candidates, meanwhile, include Julius Randle ($23.76MM), Evan Fournier ($18MM), Derrick Rose ($14.52MM), and Cam Reddish ($5.95MM), though the team would be more willing to move some of those players than others, and wouldn’t want to compromise its pursuit of Mitchell by jumping the gun on a separate deal involving Westbrook.

Marc Stein previously reported that Utah and New York were both considered by league executives to be possible landing spots for Westbrook. However, Stein suggested that the Jazz and Knicks were probably only viable trade partners for the Lakers if a Mitchell trade got done first — especially if Mitchell ended up in New York.

The thinking among those execs, Stein explained, is that the Knicks may look to move Randle and his long-term contract if they acquire Mitchell. The Jazz, on the other hand, would presumably be pivoting to a full-scale rebuild and would be open to trading more veterans for draft assets and cap flexibility if Mitchell is no longer on their roster.

It’s unclear if any of the Jazz, Knicks, or Pacers would keep Westbrook on their roster if they were to acquire him, or if they’d simply buy him out. Draft picks and/or future cap room would be the main motivators for any team trading for Westbrook.

Trade Rumors: Lakers, Pacers, Vanderbilt, Durant, Knicks

July 22nd, 2022 at 12:39pm CST by Luke Adams

Talks between the Lakers and Pacers about a trade that would include Russell Westbrook, Buddy Hield, Myles Turner, and other assets are currently dead, a source tells Bob Kravitz of The Athletic (Twitter link). Kravitz adds that those discussions could reignite if the Lakers add another first-round pick to their offer, but he says they’re currently at a standstill.

Kravitz’s wording suggests L.A. is only willing to attach one of its two tradable first-rounders (2027 and 2029) to Westbrook in exchange for Hield and Turner, so it’s not surprising that the Pacers aren’t interested.

As we noted earlier this week, if the Lakers want to try to acquire just one of Hield or Turner, there are ways to construct a deal using Talen Horton-Tucker ($10.26MM) and Kendrick Nunn ($5.25MM) instead of Westbrook’s $47MM expiring deal for outgoing salary purposes. But acquiring both Pacers veterans would mean including Westbrook and would require a substantial package of draft assets.

Here are a few more trade rumors and notes from around the NBA:

Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, who suggested last week that Jarred Vanderbilt is drawing trade interest, said on the latest episode of his podcast that “a lot of teams” have called the Jazz about the 23-year-old forward. “I don’t know the number. I don’t really have any specific teams that I’ve heard of,” Fischer said, per HoopsHype. “But last I (heard), he was the guy who’s getting the most calls, the most incoming calls of all the (Jazz) players.”
Given that no team is willing to meet the Nets‘ sky-high asking price for Kevin Durant, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on NBA Today on Thursday (video link) that he’s waiting for one of two things to happen: Brooklyn to lower that asking price, or Durant to be pulled off the trade market. There has been no indication that either one of those moves is imminent, Windhorst adds.
As the Knicks pursue a possible Donovan Mitchell deal, it’s important that they consider what pieces would be left over, writes Fred Katz of The Athletic. Besides not wanting to sacrifice too many players who could play alongside Mitchell, the Knicks will also want to retain enough assets to potentially be able to trade for another star within a couple years, since Mitchell alone wouldn’t make them a title contender, Katz says.

Lakers, Pacers Reengage In Buddy Hield Trade Talks

July 20th, 2022 at 5:21pm CST by Rory Maher

The Lakers and Pacers have reengaged in trade talks centered around Indiana sharpshooter Buddy Hield, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported on Wednesday during an appearance on NBA Today (video link).

The Lakers, of course, nearly traded for Hield last summer, but instead pivoted to acquire Russell Westbrook, so the deal fell apart. However, Hield has been linked to L.A. numerous times over the past month, with reports indicating that general manager Rob Pelinka continues to express interest in the veteran guard, who was Pelinka’s former client when he was an agent.

McMenamin doesn’t specify whether the recent talks involved Westbrook this time around or not, noting that it’s possible that Talen Horton-Tucker could have been dangled by the Lakers instead. Hield’s declining contract structure — he made $23MM last season but $21.2MM in 2022/23 — makes it easier for the Lakers to match his incoming salary without including Westbrook.

Hield, 29, appeared in 81 games last season (32 starts, 30.9 MPG) split between the Kings and Pacers, averaging a combined 15.6 PPG, 4.4 RPG and 2.8 APG on .406/.366/.874 shooting. He was dealt to the Pacers as part of the trade that sent Tyrese Haliburton to Indiana and Domantas Sabonis to Sacramento.

Hield has been a poor defensive player his entire career, but his best skill is something that’s always in demand — he’s a high-volume three-point shooter who has converted 39.8% of his career attempts behind the arc, and the Lakers struggled in that department last season, ranking 22nd in the league in three-point percentage. By contrast, Westbrook shot just 29.8% from deep last season, and Horton-Tucker was even worse at 26.9%.

McMenamin, like his ESPN colleague Brian Windhorst, reiterates that there’s “no traction” on a Westbrook/Kyrie Irving swap between the Lakers and Nets.

Trade Rumors: Durant, Mitchell, Irving, Westbrook, Conley

July 20th, 2022 at 10:57am CST by Luke Adams

With the 2022 Las Vegas Summer League in the books and training camps not scheduled to open for more than two months, many NBA executives are preparing to take vacations, which may delay resolution for the league’s top trade candidates, including Nets star Kevin Durant.

“From what I understand, the trade talks involving Kevin Durant have slowed to a trickle,” Brian Windhorst said on Wednesday during an appearance on ESPN’s Get Up (video link via Talkin’ NBA). “You can still get some Nets folks on the phone if you want to make an offer, but they are not aggressively, I am told, making outgoing calls.

“The league is about to go on their first significant vacations in two years. People are scattering to Europe and the national parks, and Kevin Durant is still a Net. I don’t think that’s going to change in the short-term future.”

As Windhorst alludes to, the 2020 and 2021 offseasons were compressed due to changes to the NBA calendar caused by COVID-19. This is the first full, normal offseason for the league since 2019.

Not everyone will be on vacation for the next two months, so it’s certainly possible that trade discussions will pick up in August or early September — or even later this month. Still, the break in the NBA calendar figures to slow down momentum toward any major deals. That applies to the Jazz‘s Donovan Mitchell talks as well, Windhorst said.

“The Donovan Mitchell situation is really headed towards a stalemate,” Windhorst said on Get Up (video link via Talkin’ NBA). “The sticker shock is out there for the price that the Jazz are asking, and the Jazz are like, ‘Look, we are in no rush. We’re going to sit back and wait for you to meet it.’ The teams are like, ‘We’re not going to increase our (offers).’ And Donovan Mitchell is not pushing it, so I hope everybody enjoys their summer.”

Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:

Windhorst suggested during Wednesday’s episode of Get Up (video link) that he doesn’t view a Kyrie Irving/Russell Westbrook trade between the Nets and Lakers as especially likely at this point: “It’s been discussed weeks ago and hasn’t advanced.”
Windhorst also said the motivation for Durant’s trade request out of Brooklyn remains somewhat vague, which may be one reason why no real progress has been made toward a resolution. “He spoke to the owner, Joe Tsai, and gave a reason (why he wanted to be traded), but I’m not sure the Nets are 100% on the understanding of it,” Windhorst said. “I think the next step in this – barring a team’s change of heart to meet the Nets’ price, which I don’t see at this point on the calendar – I think we’re going to have to wait to hear from Kevin Durant about how open he is to running it back with the Nets. Here we go, as everybody breaks for summer, sitting and waiting for that to happen.”
Appearing on a Spotify Live session with Marc Stein, Tony Jones of The Athletic confirmed that the Jazz have had trade discussions with teams this offseason about point guard Mike Conley, but admitted that he’s not sure there’s much of a market out there for Conley at this point (hat tip to HoopsHype). Conley has a $22.68MM cap hit in 2022/23, with a partial guarantee ($14.32MM) on his $24.36MM salary for ’23/24.

LeBron, Westbrook, AD Vow To Stay On Same Page

July 18th, 2022 at 5:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Lakers stars LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis renewed their commitment to one another and their goal to win a championship together in a phone conversation during the first weekend of the Las Vegas Summer League, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reports.

The conversation was organized to make sure all three were on the same page as long as they’re still wearing the Lakers uniform. Eyebrows were raised when James and Westbrook seemingly ignored each other during the Laker’s first Summer League contest.

Westbrook, who opted in for final year of his contract at a $47MM pricetag, has never requested a trade from the Lakers, according to Haynes’ sources.

Westbrook’s name has remained in the rumor mill this summer, particular as a potential trade piece for Nets guard Kyrie Irving. The trade chatter has seemingly intensified since Westbrook and his longtime agent parted ways last week.

Lakers Rumors: Irving, Trade Targets, Westbrook

July 18th, 2022 at 2:50pm CST by Luke Adams

It remains to be seen whether or not the Lakers will be able to work out a trade with the Nets for Kyrie Irving, but Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN believes L.A. has at least one more major roster move up its sleeve this offseason, as he stated on Monday during the network’s latest episode of Get Up (video link).

“I think the Lakers will make a deal. Maybe more than one deal,” Wojnarowski said. “It may not be for Kyrie Irving, it may not be for an All-NBA player, an All-Star. But players like Eric Gordon in Houston, Buddy Hield in Indiana, players like Patrick Beverley, who came to the Jazz in a trade from Minnesota, who are role players are winning teams. What is the price for those kind of moves? I think they’re going to continue to be active on all those things.”

As Wojnarowski explains, the Lakers aren’t eager to part with all of their most valuable trade assets for modest short-term upgrades, but they still feel the need to add more talent to the roster to take advantage of LeBron James‘ remaining prime years.

“When LeBron’s putting pressure on the front office, on the organization, teams are asking for a lot to do a deal with the Lakers,” Wojnarowski said. “Rob Pelinka‘s trying to keep from trading the 2027, 2029 unprotected first-round picks that obviously LeBron James doesn’t value greatly because he may not be around. He wants to win now. That’s the balance of being in the front office vs. having to serve the fact that you’ve got LeBron James still playing at an incredibly high level at an age we’ve never seen a player play at that level.”

Here’s more on the Lakers:

A potential trade sending Irving to the Lakers is “not completely dead,” per Wojnarowski, but such a deal still hinges in large part on what the Nets do with Kevin Durant. “The Nets are more focused on trying to find a deal for KD before they would even move Kyrie Irving,” Woj said. “I think there’s a good chance that Kyrie Irving is back in Brooklyn to start the season if Kevin Durant is back in Brooklyn.”
Russell Westbrook‘s public split with his longtime agent doesn’t bode well for the former MVP’s relationship with the Lakers, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, who says that dynamic between Westbrook and the team is becoming “more untenable with each passing week.” League sources tell Buha that the divorce between Westbrook and agent Thad Foucher caught several people around the Lakers by surprise.
Foucher’s statement, which hinted that Westbrook is seeking another change of scenery, may further hurt the Lakers’ leverage in trade talks, Buha writes. Multiple league sources tell The Athletic that potential trade partners are already asking for at least L.A.’s 2027 or 2029 first-round pick in order to take on Westbrook’s pricey expiring contract.
Marc Stein says in his latest Substack article that the Knicks and Jazz are viewed by some people around the league as possible landing spots for Westbrook if the two teams complete a Donovan Mitchell trade. Stein explains that the Knicks may be more inclined to trade away Julius Randle and his long-term contract for a big expiring deal like Westbrook’s in that scenario, though it strikes me as a long shot that New York and L.A. would be able to find a mutually beneficial swap involving those two players.

Russell Westbrook, Agent Part Ways

July 15th, 2022 at 10:38pm CST by Rory Maher

10:38pm: Multiple sources tell Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link) that Westbrook has never asked the Lakers to trade him, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he wouldn’t prefer a new destination, as Foucher implied, or that he has a choice in the matter, because the Lakers might want to move him either way.

10:00pm: Lakers guard Russell Westbrook will be looking for new representation, as his longtime agent Thad Foucher tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that the pair have parted ways due to “irreconcilable differences.”

According to Wojnarowski, Foucher has represented Westbrook since he turned pro and was the No. 4 pick of the 2008 draft. Foucher said the two have a difference of opinion on the approach to take going forward.

“Now, with a possibility of a fourth trade in four years, the marketplace is telling the Lakers they must add additional value with Russell in any trade scenario. And even then, such a trade may require Russell to immediately move on from the new team via buyout.

“My belief is that this type of transaction only serves to diminish Russell’s value and his best option is to stay with the Lakers, embrace the starting role and support that (head coach) Darvin Ham publicly offered. Russell is a first-ballot Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame player and will prove that again before he is retired.

“Unfortunately, irreconcilable differences exist as to his best pathway forward and we are no longer working together. I wish Russell and his family the very best,” Foucher said as part of a larger statement.

Westbrook has been the subject of frequent trade rumors in his rocky tenure with the Lakers, and based on Foucher’s statement, it sounds like the former MVP might be ready for a new team, but obviously Foucher thought it was best to remain in L.A. to try and rebuild his value.

The 33-year-old appeared in 78 games (34.3 MPG) with the Lakers in 2021/22, averaging 18.5 PPG, 7.4 RPG and 7.1 APG on .444/.298/.667 shooting. He was heavily scrutinized by the media and fans due to his shot selection, poor defense and lack of accountability, as he blamed former coach Frank Vogel for some of his issues.

Latest On Kyrie Irving

July 13th, 2022 at 9:34am CST by Luke Adams

Although a couple other teams were briefly linked to Nets guard Kyrie Irving since free agency began, his trade market appears to be “Lakers or bust,” according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. With Irving apparently generating little interest as a trade chip, both he and the Nets are sending out signals that they’re willing to continue their relationship.

Appearing on ESPN’s Get Up on Wednesday (video link), Brian Windhorst said the “vibe” coming out of Brooklyn is that the Nets are comfortable entering the fall with both Irving and Kevin Durant still on their roster.

“This could be a negotiating position, or it could be a smart decision if you don’t like the trade offers that you have,” Windhorst said. “The market for Durant has not been as lucrative as the Nets were hoping, and the market for Kyrie is very thin. It’s essentially the Lakers and the trade offer isn’t great. If you don’t like what you have, do you just sort of close ranks and look at restarting it?”

Meanwhile, a source close to Irving tells Brian Lewis of The New York Post that Irving hasn’t asked to be traded and has “every intention” of playing for the Nets in 2022/23.

“How did we get into this situation about (a) trade, when he opted in?” Lewis’ source said. “Here is the situation: He opted in, which means he had and he has every intention of playing with the Brooklyn Nets. KD decides he wants out and now everybody is talking about trading Kyrie, right?

“Kyrie has not asked for a trade. Now, if the Nets don’t want him, that’s something totally different. Kyrie has not said he wants a trade. He opted in. (So where did) the trade conversations come from? Is it because, KD requested a trade and now everybody’s like, ‘Let’s trade Ky?’ Kyrie opted in.”

It’s true that there has been no indication Irving has explicitly requested a trade like Durant has, but it’s still hard to take the source’s comments at face value.

Reporting from several outlets in June indicated that Irving was seriously exploring other destinations and only opted into his contract with the Nets after it became clear that none of the teams on his wish list were prepared to make him a lucrative, long-term offer in free agency. Since then, multiple reports have suggested Kyrie would like to end up with the Lakers.

Still, even if the comments from Lewis’ source are an attempt by Irving to save face and win the PR battle, the fact that the All-Star guard is apparently open to spending 2022/23 in Brooklyn is good news for the team. It means the Nets shouldn’t feel any pressure to accept the Lakers’ best offer for Irving if it falls short of their asking price.

Here’s more on Irving:

The Lakers don’t want to give up multiple first-round picks to trade Russell Westbrook, league sources tell Scotto. The belief, as Lewis writes, is that the Nets are seeking two first-rounders from L.A. (2027 and 2029) in any swap involving Westbrook and Irving.
One member of the Mavericks organization believes Irving would want to play for Dallas head coach Jason Kidd, whom he idolized growing up, according to Scotto. However, Scotto confirms that the Mavs don’t appear to have any real interest in trading for Kyrie, as Bleacher Report and the Dallas Morning News previously reported.
Rival executives and league insiders are “split” on whether the Lakers will be able to pull off a deal for Irving, writes Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. Many of those insiders believe any L.A. trade for Kyrie will be on hold until the Nets resolve Durant’s trade request, according to Woike, who wonders if the team could pivot to other targets like Buddy Hield or Eric Gordon instead of waiting on Irving.

Lakers Notes: Ham, James, Westbrook, Pippen Jr., Pacers, Davis

July 9th, 2022 at 9:25am CST by Dana Gauruder

New Lakers coach Darvin Ham declared his “love’ for the current roster during halftime of the team’s 104-84 summer league loss to the Suns, Dave McMenamin of ESPN writes. Rumors persist that Kyrie Irving‘s most likely destination if he’s traded is Los Angeles.

“We love everyone on our roster,” Ham said. “And until you’re not on our roster, you’re ours and we’re going to try to get better with the group that we have. That’s just the bottom line of it. I don’t know a player that’s come through this league in my 26 years that hasn’t had their name part of a trade rumor a time or two.”

We have more on the Lakers:

Russell Westbrook offered some ball-handling advice to rookie Scotty Pippen Jr., who signed a two-way contract . Pippen had a team-high 19 points but also five turnovers. “He gave me some pointers and I ended up using them,” Pippen said.
Westbrook and LeBron James didn’t exactly act like bosom buddies while watching the game, Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register notes. They sat in opposite corners of the Thomas & Mack Center and made no public acknowledgment of one another before Westbrook left the exhibition at halftime.
GM Rob Pelinka foreshadowed at least one big move to come while speaking on the NBA TV broadcast, Goon relays. “We’re not done,” Pelinka said. “We still have more work to do.” The Lakers have an open roster spot.
The Lakers tried in vain to engineer a multi-player trade with the Pacers, McMenamin said on ESPN (video link). McMenamin said “those talks basically went nowhere” because the Lakers’ offer wasn’t strong enough. McMenamin didn’t elaborate on what players were discussed, though it’s fair to speculate they might have either been targeting Myles Turner or Buddy Hield, who nearly got dealt to the Lakers last offseason.
In a wide ranging interview with Andscape’s Marc J. Spears, Ham hinted that Anthony Davis is the key to the team’s success. “With AD, I would say he’s the biggest factor,” Ham said. “I’m looking forward to him having a huge year this year. I know the way we’re going to play is going to benefit him. The way I’m going to take care of him, make sure we take care of him, it’s going to benefit him.”

Lakers, Nets Explore Involving Spurs In Westbrook/Irving Talks?

July 8th, 2022 at 9:23am CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers and Nets are exploring the possibility of getting the Spurs involved in a multi-team trade that would feature Russell Westbrook and Kyrie Irving, sources tell Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report.

Los Angeles and Brooklyn don’t appear to be on the verge of finalizing any deal involving Westbrook and Irving, with their discussions to date being characterized as “preliminary.” Irving reportedly wants to play for the Lakers, but the Nets don’t seem to have much interest in taking back Westbrook’s pricier expiring contract, even with draft assets attached, leading to speculation that a third team will have to be included.

The Spurs are the obvious choice to be that third team because they have about $30-35MM in projected cap room remaining. That doesn’t give them enough space to absorb Westbrook’s $47MM salary outright, but they could potentially get there by sending out Doug McDermott ($13.75MM) or Josh Richardson ($12.2MM), as Pincus observes.

In a scenario where Irving heads to L.A. and Westbrook goes to San Antonio, any sweeteners (ie. future draft picks) the Lakers would have sent to Brooklyn would presumably be re-routed to the Spurs as an incentive for taking on Westbrook’s unwanted contract.

While the structure of such a deal makes some sense, three-team deals are never easy to negotiate and this one would be especially complicated.

The Nets may want to resolve Kevin Durant‘s trade request before making a move with Irving, and don’t appear eager to rush into a deal involving either player.

The Lakers look like Irving’s only legitimate suitor for the time being, so they don’t want to overpay for him, especially since he’s on an expiring contract of his own. But they could feel some pressure to make a move if star forward LeBron James, who becomes extension-eligible next month, is pushing for it.

The Spurs, meanwhile, will probably have other opportunities to use their cap room to acquire draft assets from teams looking to shed salary, so they’ll have to consider all their options.

Appearing today on ESPN’s Get Up (video link), Brian Windhorst said he believes a deal sending Irving to the Lakers will “eventually” get done, but said it’s probably going to be “a fight along the way.”