John Wall For Russell Westbrook Still Up For Discussion

KEY POINTS

The deal involving Russell Westbrook and John Wall is allegedly still on the table
Westbrook's fit into the Lakers will depend on their next head coach
Taking in Wall seems risky for the Lakers since he sat out the entire 2021-22 season

The Los Angeles Lakers have yet to figure out what to do with Russell Westbrook, a key acquisition last year who did not live according to expectations.

The understanding is that the 2017 NBA MVP is likely to be traded, but there is no clarity on where.

The name of the nine-time All-Star has been frequently mentioned, but nothing has come close to happening.

But one deal that was suggested before the last NBA trade deadline is allegedly still on the table. This is about the swap involving Westbrook and John Wall of the Houston Rockets.

That deal did not materialize because the Lakers were unwilling to include a future first-round pick according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports back in February.

Regardless, it seems that the deal is still up for discussion according to Keith Smith of Spotrac.

For the Lakers, keeping a draft pick could make sense if they want to infuse young blood into the roster.

However, the problem with the Lakers is that they went the same route in the past.

To make things worse, they ended up dealing off their young guns to other teams with most now turning out to be rising stars. That list includes names such as Julius Randle, Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball and Kyle Kuzma.

These names have stood out for their new teams after at one point being together in Los Angeles.

For now, the Lakers need to figure out what to do with Westbrook.

After a disastrous season, many see him not returning for another stint unless the new head coach’s system is tailored for him.

Acquiring Wall for Westbrook also holds no promise.

It should be noted that the five-time All-Star sat out the entire 2021-22 season for the Rockets, raising questions about his conditioning.

There is also the fact that Wall has had injury-riddled seasons.

Although he has proven to be explosive, the last thing the Lakers need is to add another superstar who could spend more time in sickbay than on the basketball floor.

The fate of Wall and Westbrook could be clearer in the offseason with NBA teams expected to tweak their rosters anew for next season.