NBA Rumors: Lakers Not Willing To Include 2027 First Rounder In Westbrook, Wall Trade

KEY POINTS

The Lakers are reportedly not interested in including their 2027 first round pick in a trade for John Wall
Russell Westbrook has failed to live up to the expectation that Lakers fans had of him in the offseason
Trading Westbrook now would be seen as an admission of the Lakers' mistake in acquiring him

Los Angeles Lakers fans have had few things to cheer about this season, and new details have surfaced regarding their rumored interest in Houston Rockets point guard John Wall for Russell Westbrook.

Citing a report from Marc Stein’s subscription-based newsletter, RealGM noted that the Lakers are not open to including their 2027 first-round pick in any trades involving Wall.

Moving Westbrook so soon after acquiring him in a massive trade with the Washington Wizards that blew up the Lakers’ bench depth will be seen by most teams in the league, and by fans, that they made a mistake in trading for him in the first place.

Outside of die-hard Lakers fans, many were unconvinced that adding a third star in Westbrook to the already-ideal pairing of LeBron James and Anthony Davis was going to be the answer for them to winning another title together.

The Lakers’ hopes for a back-to-back run to the NBA title came to a screeching halt last season after falling in the first round to the eventual Western Conference Champions in the form of the Phoenix Suns.

Whether it is desperation, a sense that things were not going to work out or a mix of both, the Lakers went after Westbrook regardless of his fit.

This move then forced the Lakers to round out their roster with minimum contracts and penny-pinching moves from the front office had allowed Alex Caruso, a crucial contributor in their 2020 NBA title run, to join the Chicago Bulls.

Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated also spoke about the trade rumors involving Wall and the Lakers on “The Hoop Collective” podcast with Brian Windhorst, mentioning that 2010 top draft pick had asked for permission from the Rockets to work out in Miami to be closer with his family.

“They actually make, I don't know if it's nearly to the same dollar, but a similar salary, so you can trade them one-for-one without including anybody else. That 2027 Laker pick that you mentioned before, that first-round pick, seems to be pretty coveted, and I would expect it to be included in such a deal,” he said.

With how the Lakers season is panning out, they are at risk of not making the playoffs as they sit at ninth place in the West.