Lakers News: How Lakers Could Add Myles Turner While Retaining Russell Westbrook

But would they want to retain Russell Westbrook?

Now that Indiana Pacers 3-and-D center/power forward Myles Turner has essentially pitched himself to your Los Angeles Lakers as a viable trade return for Russell Westbrook's $47.1 million expiring maximum contract, will L.A. listen?

The long-proposed deal that's reportedly been on the table recently would see Los Angeles shipping out the Westbrook contract and both its tradable future first-round selections (in 2027 and 2029) in exchange for Turner and three-point specialist shooting guard Buddy Hield.

Doug McKain of Lakers 248 suggests a trade that could send Turner to L.A. that would enable Los Angeles to hold onto the Westbrook contract, given that Westbrook has excelled so much as a sixth man option.

Here's what McKain proposes the Lakers pitch to make the money work in a Turner trade without letting the Westbrook contract go:

"You would still most likely have to part ways with those picks. Now the question I have is, would you be able to make that trade without having to part ways with Russell Westbrook? Could you get a deal done maybe for just Myles Turner? And then you [could] look elsewhere for another shooter. Now the Lakers desperately need to add more shooting, but let's say they want to add Myles Turner. Could they get that deal done without including Russell Westbrook? Well they most certainly could. You could trade Kendrick Nunn and Patrick Beverley, and that would get the salaries to work."

Would Indiana be open to that deal? What if L.A. threw in a future second-rounder too?

If the Lakers could hold onto one of their future first-round draft selections, perhaps they could move Westbrook's contract and the other pick in a separate deal later in the season, assuming Westbrook can successfully make himself an asset? A team with James, Davis, Turner, Westbrook and this current supporting cast would still be incredibly bereft of impactful floor spacers, outside of Turner himself. James is a solid career three-point shooter, yes, but L.A. needs to add supplemental three-point shooters around him to clear up driving lanes. One way or another, this writer thinks L.A. should look to deal Westbrook.