The Russell Westbrook experiment has run its course with the Los Angeles Lakers. It has failed to work. A fit that never made sense on paper somehow ended up being even worse in reality.
Along the same lines, Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers hate each other. Both parties want to end the relationship ASAP, and now it’s just a matter of finding the right deal.
This week, a report emerged that the Lakers and Sixers talked about a potential trade involving Westbrook and Simmons. What remained unclear, however, is how those conversations went.
A few days ago Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report spoke with Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. During their chat, they touched on the extent of the conversations between LA and Philly regarding a Simmons-for-Westbrook swap.
“The only outgoing call I confirmed was to Philadelphia for Ben Simmons,” Fischer said.
“When I got the information that they called about Ben, the conversation pretty much was, ‘We’re interested in Ben. How would we get there?’ The obvious solution is Russell Westbrook. He’s not a player on that Sixers list that they have.”
It’s not surprising that Philly would be hesitant to acquire Westbrook. He has two years and $90 million left on his deal, and he is objectively a downgrade from what Simmons brings to the table.
The Sixers would be crazy to take him over the sort of package the New Orleans Pelicans are offering or the one the Oklahoma City Thunder are offering.
The perks of being a star NFL quarterback. https://t.co/41jjiHQn7C
— Game 7 (@game7__) December 15, 2021
Two other Westbrook trades have been talked about: one concerning the Houston Rockets and another including the Sacramento Kings. The viability of both remains unclear.
Clearly LA wants to move on from Westbrook. Will they ultimately get the opportunity to do that, though? Time will tell.
Related: Real Reason Nobody Wants To Trade For Knicks’ Kemba Walker
A graduate from the University of Texas, Anthony Amador has been credentialed to cover the Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and high school games all over the Lone Star State. Currently, his primary beats are the NBA, MLB, NFL and UFC.
