Lakers Active In Trade Talks, Willing To Part With Two First-Rounders

Now that LeBron James has signed an extension, Lakers GM Rob Pelinka is back in business. Or at least in the business of discussing trades again.

The primary objective, it seems, would be to move Russell Westbrook. As of last week, they didn’t want to part with two first-round drafts (2027 and ’29) just to move Westbrook, as we relayed here. But it appears that stance has changed.

Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Lakers are suddenly willing to trade those picks in the right deal.

For starters, the Lakers are targeting Nets guard Kyrie Irving. That’s no secret. They would supposedly give up the aforementioned first-rounders (and Westbrook) for Irving. But right now, the Nets don’t seem very interested in such a deal.

That’s not all. The Lakers are also considering other options.

Per Wojnarowski, they continue to have “on-and-off-again talks” with the Pacers for shooting guard Buddy Hield and center Myles Turner. The Lakers were linked to Hield last summer, before landing Westbrook and when Hield was still with the Kings.

But today, per Woj, they are not willing to surrender two firsts for Hield/Turner.

“They’re going to try to see if they can add some shooting, perhaps some size, before the season,” Wojnarowski said on NBA Today, mentioning that Westbrook would be part of any deal. “I think by holding onto those picks, if something else arises at another point in the season, they kind of still have some ammunition to go out and do a big deal.

“But right now, having LeBron James under contract takes pressure off of this organization. They know they can make decisions with a longer term view in place.”

Added Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, “the Lakers have not been willing to part with significant draft capital to get off Westbrook’s contract. But that may have been tied to uncertainty surrounding James’ future, which is now put to rest.”