Lakers Have Had Russell Westbrook Trade Talks With Jazz, per Report

Los Angeles is still entertaining the idea of moving their sixth man at the deadline.
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The Lakers and Jazz have had “exploratory conversations” centered around guard Russell Westbrook, according to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report.

As the Lakers continue to make strides with both LeBron James and Anthony Davis back to full health, the team continues to sift through options to improve the team’s shooting at the deadline. Per Haynes, Pistons wing Bojan Bogdanovic remains a “principal target”, but there is skepticism regarding Detroit’s willingness to move him.

Westbrook’s trade value has steadied amid his move to the Lakers’ sixth man role, where he has thrived and anchored the Los Angeles second unit. He is averaging 15.7 points, 7.6 assists and 6.3 rebounds in 28.8 minutes per game this season.

The Lakers already made one trade last month, bringing aboard Rui Hachimura from the Wizards to improve their depth in the frontcourt. Even with Hachimura’s arrival, the Los Angeles front office believes they need to make “at least” one move at the deadline to improve their chances at competing for a championship this summer.


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Mike McDaniel
MIKE MCDANIEL

Mike McDaniel is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where he has worked since January 2022. His work has been featured at InsideTheACC.com, SB Nation, FanSided and more. McDaniel hosts the Hokie Hangover Podcast, covering Virginia Tech athletics, as well as Basketball Conference: The ACC Football Podcast. Outside of work, he is a husband and father, and an avid golfer.