Spurs Rumors: San Antonio back in talks for Russell Westbrook

The San Antonio Spurs have been tied to the Los Angeles Lakers all season as the Lakers try and build around LeBron James and Anthony Davis. So far, despite winning one title in 2020 with the superstar duo, the Lakers have been considered a disappointment, missing the playoffs twice and being bounced in the first round once since trading for AD. At the time of writing, the Lakers are 146-119 since adding Davis and have cemented themselves as utterly hapless.

Due to their misery at the bottom of the Western Conference and not having much in the way of tradable assets, we wrote the Lakers off as trade partners for the San Antonio Spurs. 

Spurs and Lakers could again be trade partners

That being said, the Lakers have a bloated salary, and the Spurs are below the NBA’s minimum team salary. This could encourage San Antonio to make a deal with the Lakers and take on the asinine and bloated Russell Westbrook or Kendrick Nunn contract. 

Just for taking Westbrook, the Spurs would expect a first-round pick, and if the Lakers wanted talent back as well, that would only increase the asking price. As the season slips away from Los Angeles and LeBron James himself is rumored to be nearing a trade request, the Lakers might overpay for talented role players. The Spurs have no shortage of players who could elevate the floor of a franchise, and they can take money back. 

Russell Westbrook is by far the highest-paid possible trade candidate, but Kendrick Nunn, Lonnie Walker, and Austin Reaves could be included if the Lakers are truly invested in winning now. Of course, this would mean that the Lakers would actually need to make concessions and admit that their current model isn’t working, and that might be asking for too much.