Jan 19, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Why the Indiana Pacers would accept B/R’s trade for Russell Westbrook
After trading away Domantas Sabonis at the NBA trade deadline, the Pacers signaled that they were entering a rebuild. Moving Sabonis was just the first domino as they are likely to move on from a handful of other pieces this coming offseason, as Charania notes that Malcolm Brogdon and Buddy Hield could become available for trade. Moving those two for Westbrook may seem questionable, but with everything else attached here, it may not be such a bad move.
First off, while taking on Westbrook’s $47 million contract for next season may look unattractive, it is expiring, so it will be far more digestible than in years past. The Pacers can pay Westbrook for next season and then let him walk in free agency or potentially buy him out before he even plays a game with the franchise. While Westbrook is on the books for just next season, Brogdon has an upcoming contract extension that will keep him on the payroll until 2025, while Hield is signed until 2024. Considering that both Brogdon and Hield are 29-years-old, they do not exactly fit the timeline of a rebuild, so moving them off the books rather than keeping them long-term would be justifiable for the Pacers, especially if they can get assets.
The two first rounders are interesting here. Sure, they do not come until 2027 and 2029, meaning the Pacers would have to wait, but that might not be such a bad thing. The Lakers could look much different a few years down the line, and those two picks could be valuable for a rebuilding team like the Pacers. That is just speculation, but the chance to add two first rounders in any capacity would be smart for a team set to rebuild.
The addition of Talen Horton-Tucker in this deal could also be of interest to the Pacers, given that he would fit their rebuilding timeline. Though THT had a turbulent season in Los Angeles, he is still just 21-years-old and has plenty of room to develop. A change of scenery alongside other players such as Tyrese Haliburton, Chris Duarte, and other young pieces could be just what Horton-Tucker needs to unlock his potential. He is also on the books for $10 million next season and has a player option worth $11 million the following year, so adding him would not break Indiana’s bank.
In short, there are plenty of reasons for the Indiana Pacers to like this trade. They can offload two hefty long-term salaries for a short-term player, a budding young guard, and two draft picks that have some potential down the road, which would check several boxes for a rebuilding team.
Indiana</a> Pacers and Los Angeles Lakers could be gearing up for a trade that would dominate headlines this NBA offseason.</p>
<p>As first reported by The Athletic’s Shams Charania (subscription required), rival executives believe the<a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/04/18/assessing-bleacher-reports-russell-westbrook-trade-indiana-pacers/2/"https://theathletic.com/3243084/2022/04/11/whats-next-for-lakers-notes-on-nick-nurse-russell-westbrook-and-more/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Pacers could be a viable landing spot</a> for former NBA MVP Russell Westbrook.</p>
<p>After a turbulent season together, Westbrook and the Lakers appear destined to go their separate ways his offseason. Though Westbrook will inevitably accept his $47 million player option for next season, Los Angeles will look to move the point guard the second they are allowed to do so, as his fit with the franchise was questionable from the moment they traded for him during the previous offseason. While it initially looked like the Westbrook market may be dry, the Pacers could be the team to throw the Lakers a bone and help facilitate a trade for the 33-year-old guard.</p>
<p>Given that Westbrook would make a whopping $47 million next season, putting together a trade package that makes sense for both teams is certainly no easy task. Well, Bleacher Report writer Zach Buckley recently took on the assignment and <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/04/18/assessing-bleacher-reports-russell-westbrook-trade-indiana-pacers/2/"https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2955373-nba-trade-ideas-that-could-reshape-the-league-in-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pieced together a deal</a> that is compelling for both parties involved.</p>
<h2>Bleacher Report’s Russell Westbrook trade for Indiana Pacers</h2>
<p><strong>Indiana Pacers receive: Russell Westbrook, Talen Horton-Tucker, 2027 first-round pick and 2029 first-round pick</strong></p>
<p><strong>Los Angeles Lakers receive: Malcolm Brogdon and Buddy Hield</strong></p>
<p>This trade features no shortage of moving parts, with each team exchanging key pieces and draft capital to make this one work. With that being said, let us break down the trade by assessing why each team would hypothetically make the deal once they are allowed to this offseason.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/04/18/assessing-bleacher-reports-russell-westbrook-trade-indiana-pacers/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Why the Pacers do it </a>
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and both pieces from the Indiana Pacers fit the billing in that regard.</a></p>
<p>Considering that they almost traded for him last offseason prior to trading for Westbrook, LA should be quite familiar with Buddy Hield. The guard has proven to be one of the best 3-point shooters in the league over the past few seasons, and he had another fantastic year as he hit the second-most triples in the NBA this season. With sharpshooting like that, Hield would be perfect in this LA offense. James and Davis need to be surrounded by shooting, and adding one of the best in the business in Hield, a career 39.8 percent shooter on 7.6 attempts per game, would be a great combination on the offensive end.</p>
<p>Brogdon would also bring another battle-tested player to Los Angeles. Over the past three years in Indiana, the guard has averaged 18.9 points, 6.3 assists, and 5.1 rebounds per game. While his 3-point shooting is not as stellar as Hield’s, having shot 35.2 percent on 5.4 attempts per contest in that timeframe, Brogdon is also a solid outside shooter. With numbers like these, Brogdon could be the ideal third star to play alongside James and Davis, as he would be an immediate upgrade over Westbrook at the starting point guard position.</p>
<p>Two first round picks and a young asset like Horton-Tucker may seem like quite a lot to attach in a Westbrook trade, but if the Lakers are getting back two players like Hield and Brogdon, it would be worth it. Bringing in these two would help make the Lakers formidable on impact, helping them in their quest to return to title contention right from the jump next season.</p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="Top 3 Russell Westbrook trade ideas for this offseason" data-url="https://hoopshabit.com/2022/04/15/russell-westbrook-trade-ideas/" data-call-to-action="Next"
> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/04/18/assessing-bleacher-reports-russell-westbrook-trade-indiana-pacers/2/"https://hoopshabit.com/2022/04/15/russell-westbrook-trade-ideas/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> Top 3 Russell Westbrook trade ideas for this offseason </a> </div>
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