How The Indiana Pacers And Los Angeles Lakers Starts Impact Russell Westbrook Trade Rumors

The Indiana Pacers and Los Angeles Lakers meet for the primary time this season tonight, however their upcoming battle on the courtroom is not the one cause the 2 groups have crossed paths this season.

Instead, commerce rumors involving Lakers level guard Russell Westbrook have been the headlines involving the 2 groups. Multiple shops have reported that the 2 franchises have mentioned a deal and the Pacers are uniquely positioned to make a commerce for Westbrook as they’re underneath the wage cap.

During the season, the dialog has not gone away. Indiana middle Myles Turner was requested a few attainable deal Wow Pod on the finish of October and ESPNDave McMenamin wrote a narrative on it earlier as we speak. It can be an ongoing story till the commerce deadline or a deal is accomplished.

“Me and the organization are in a great place, and that’s all that matters to me,” Turner stated of the Pacers roughly every week after showing on the podcast.

Overall, the commerce reportedly mentioned contains Westbrook, Turner, Pacers guard Buddy Hield and two of Los Angeles’ first-round draft picks (in 2027 and 2029). From a 1,000-foot standpoint, such a deal would enhance the Lakers’ roster and provides Indiana some draft capital. But the Pacers have stunned many, and these two picks are two of the Lakers’ solely tradeable belongings to assist enhance their workforce. It’s an advanced association to create.

The clock is ticking quick on the scenario. Turner and Westbrook are on expiring contracts, that means the 2 groups may very well be in utterly totally different conditions come February. With LeBron James and the Lakers hoping to be title contenders sooner slightly than later, it is an ever-evolving scenario that adjustments every single day and will change once more tonight because the groups sq. off.

The first 18 video games for each groups have modified the optics of a deal. For Indiana, the workforce has gotten off to a better-than-anticipated begin to the season, and Turner and Hield have performed a task within the shocking surge.

Turner has been nominated for Eastern Conference Player of the Week 3 times already this season. He is at the moment hitting profession highs in each scoring (18.2 factors per recreation) and rebounding (8.1 boards per recreation) whereas blocking greater than two pictures per contest and capturing over 43% from deep. He has been wonderful to start out the 12 months.

The 26-year-old large man can be an amazing match with the franchise’s younger stars in Tyrese Haliburton and Bennedict Mathurin. While his expiring contract will make him a commerce candidate all season lengthy, he has been an enormous asset to the blue and gold.

Meanwhile, Hield is averaging a career-best 17.3 factors per recreation. His passing and rebounding have improved, and he’s third within the NBA in three-point capturing. He is near Haliburton and an excellent participant, which makes him useful to Indiana. And his contract is not expiring — it runs by way of the 2023-24 season — so there’s much less urgency to maneuver him than there is likely to be with Turner or Westbrook.

“His approach is always quite consistent. He’s going to be aggressive, he’s a great mover without the ball,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said of Hield earlier this season.

Because the Pacers have performed effectively to open the marketing campaign, and each of those gamers have possible elevated their commerce worth considerably within the first month and a half of the season, the franchise could also be much less keen to make a deal that features the return of Westbrook’s contract. They can purchase related belongings from different groups with out doing so.

For the Lakers, their 7-11 begin has modified issues a bit. It hasn’t been nice, nevertheless it hasn’t been horrible both, and the workforce has gained 5 of its final six video games. LA has taken a step ahead regardless of dropping greater than successful.

What Los Angeles must ask is easy: Does this commerce make them title contenders? If so, then they need to strongly think about LeBron James turning 38 later this 12 months. If this doesn’t make them a competitor, it might be smarter for the group to rely by itself belongings.

Another change within the dynamic of a deal is that Westbrook has been benched by the Lakers — and it is working. His minutes — and numbers, in flip — are down. But his passing and influence have been higher with Los Angeles’ second unit, and he is regarded higher in latest weeks. The Lakers are .500 since benching Westbrook and transferring Patrick Beverley or Dennis Schroder into the beginning lineup.

So the Lakers have improved and located a greater function for Westbrook, however nonetheless is probably not adequate to be a title hopeful with Turner and Hild. And the Pacers’ two veterans have been wonderful this season for a shocking Indiana workforce that would most likely get extra worth for the 2 gamers in different offers. It nonetheless makes numerous good sense for a deal to go down, however because the season has advanced, so have the optics of a deal, and there are many causes a commerce won’t undergo.

Things will proceed to vary, however because the Los Angeles Lakers and Indiana Pacers face off tonight, a commerce is unlikely, and it is even much less possible as we speak than it was in October. However, the scenario may look utterly totally different in a month if the Pacers slip up of their subsequent few video games or if the Lakers rise. Or catastrophe could strike and one of many gamers concerned could also be injured. In the NBA, something can occur between as we speak and the commerce deadline.