Indiana Pacers and Utah Jazz in recent months have been the most talked-about destinations for a possible transfer of Russell Westbrook. Rumors had circulated a few weeks ago that Rob Pelinka had given up two picks to the Pacers in exchange for Myles Turner and Buddy Hield for \”wait to see how the team would do this season.\”. Now another trade for Westbrook emerges that was also blurred at the behest of the yellow-purple: the one with the Jazz.
According to The Athletic, The Lakers reportedly turned down a trade that would have brought Mike Conley, Bojan Bogdanovic (before he was traded to Detroit), Rudy Gay and a 2023 first-round pick to LA in exchange for Russell Westbrook and yellow-purple first-round call-ups 2027 and 2029. In short, the Lakers would go all-in, mortgaging their future in an effort to win and improve right away. Something they do not yet seem willing to do, perhaps because they are aware that they would not improve enough to aim for the title.
