Lakers Almost Traded Russell Westbrook to the Pacers in the Summer

Russell Westbrook in 2017
Russell Westbrook in 2017. Photo by Stewart Cook/REX/Shutterstock

The Los Angeles Lakers decided to run it back this season with their BIG 3 of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook. However, it turns out this wasn’t their first choice.

Despite high hopes ahead of 2021-22, the Lakers fell flat and ended up missing the playoffs. Westbrook was singled out as the primary culprit for this, as many believed his style of play didn’t fit with James and Davis. As a result, the Lakers started exploring trade options for the former NBA MVP and almost pulled a trigger on one.

According to The Athletic, the Lakers were really close to dealing Westbrook to the Indiana Pacers this summer. Reportedly, the two teams were discussing a trade that would send the veteran point guard to the Pacers while the LA team would get guard Buddy Hield and center Myles Turner.

However, the issue here was the Lakers’ reluctance to include their first-round picks in 2027 and 2029 in the deal. On the other hand, the Pacers were only willing to make the trade if they got both picks. There were also talks about including a third team or making the trade under different conditions, but they didn’t go too far.

In the end, the Lakers brass decided that parting with their first-round picks was too steep of a price to pay just to get Westbrook out of town. They now hope the 33-year-old can bounce back under new head coach Darvin Ham and justify the decision to keep him around.

Westbrook averaged 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game last season. It was his lowest scoring output since his sophomore season in the league.