It seems like a foregone conclusion that Russell Westbrook will be playing with yet another team in as many years after a bad season with the Lakers.
The Indiana Pacers are reportedly a potential suitor for the veteran point guard. Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported the Pacers could target Westbrook if they want to shed long-term salary from their roster, specifically the contracts of guards Buddy Hield and Malcolm Brogdon.
Adding Westbrook’s expiring $47.1 million contract allows the Pacers to shed long-term salary and almost certainly add at least one future first-round draft pick. It’s likely Indiana would reach a buyout agreement with Westbrook if a trade goes down.
“Trading Hield and Brogdon for Westbrook straight up would work under the salary cap and allow the Pacers to get out from under the final three years of Brogdon’s contract and the final two of Hield’s,” writes Bleacher Report’s Tyler Conway. “Indiana is in the early stages of a rebuild, and both Brogdon and Hield will be in their 30s by the time the franchise can reasonably expect to be a contender.”
The Westbrook experiment in Los Angeles was a disaster as the 2017 NBA MVP failed to mesh with the two Lakers stars on the floor and became a focus of criticism from fans.
The 18.5 points per game is his lowest average since his second season in the NBA.
