The Los Angeles Lakers are 24-27 and find themselves ninth in the Western Conference.
Over in the East, the New York Knicks are 23-27 and sit 12th in the conference.
By any objective measure, both of these squads are underperforming.
Badly.
One potential option that could help both teams turn their seasons around? A deal that sees LA walking away with Kemba Walker and New York landing Russell Westbrook.
ESPN NBA insider Bobby Marks detailed this idea during a recent Lowe Post podcast episode.
“[If I were the Knicks], I call the Lakers for Russell Westbrook. I’m offering Kemba Walker, Alec Burks, and Evan Fournier for Russell Westbrook and [Lakers’] 2027 lottery-protected first-round pick,” he said.
“It’s different than the situation in Los Angeles, where you have six guys and sign guys for the minimum. You’ve got these young kids already there [in New York]. You’ve got 5-6 players under contract next year. You got (Julius) Randle there. You’re not a tax team.
“Hey, of all the flaws of Russell Westbrook, that guy competes. He’s a competitor. He’s a wildcard. I’m just watching a Knicks team that is so lethargic right now where their second unit is better than the first. Sometimes, these guys seem they don’t care.”
Westbrook’s disastrous run in LA has been well-documented. He’s calling out teammates, lashing out at media and getting into it with fans.
Walker’s campaign in New York hasn’t gone much better.
The photos speak for themselves. https://t.co/TNLnUyXpnk
— Game 7 (@game7__) January 31, 2022
A fresh start for both men could be just what the doctor ordered.
That said, if neither this deal nor LA’s one other trade option as it pertains to Westbrook actually materializes – the 2021-22 NBA season could go down as the most disappointing in Lakers history.
Related: Kevin Garnett Gets Brutally Honest About LaMelo Ball (Video)
Jennifer Withers Hoey is a former Business Development Manager who transitioned to writing about sports. With valuable connections all over the West Coast, she has used those contacts to break some of the most interesting stories pertaining to the Portland Trail Blazers, Oregon Ducks, LA Lakers, LA Clippers, Seattle Supersonics (RIP), and more.
