A three-team trade between the Los Angeles Lakers, Brooklyn Nets and San Antonio Spurs could be in the works, per a report.
Russell Westbrook could be part of a three-way trade with the Spurs, Brooklyn Nets, and Los Angeles Lakers that sends him to San Antonio. Per SpursTalk’s LJ Ellis, the trade that is “closest to happening” sends Irving to the Lakers, Russell Westbrook to the Spurs, and an unprotected first-round pick from the Lakers to San Antonio.
“According to multiple sources, the trade that is closest to happening involves Kyrie Irving being sent to the Los Angeles Lakers and Russell Westbrook being routed to the Spurs,” Ellis wrote. “To facilitate that trade, the sources tell me the Spurs want an unprotected first round pick from the Lakers.”
Los Angeles and Brooklyn don’t appear to be on the verge of finalizing any deal involving Westbrook and Irving.
Irving reportedly wants to play for the Lakers, but the Nets don’t seem to have much interest in taking back Westbrook’s expiring contract, and that’s even with draft assets attached to it.
While the structure of such a deal makes some sense, three-team deals are never easy to negotiate and this one would be especially complicated.
The Nets reportedly want to move Kevin Durant first from the team, but the package they want back for him has other teams shying away from blowing up their team and draft picks in order to do it.
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The Lakers look like Irving’s only legitimate suitor, for the time being, so they don’t want to overpay for him, especially since he’s on an expiring contract of his own.
