It’s no secret that the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2021-22 season hasn’t gone particularly well so far.
Amid their slow start, they have reportedly discussed the idea of trading Russell Westbrook.
Financially, a deal sending Westbrook to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio would make some sense. But Cavs fans shouldn’t expect anything like that to happen, as it sounds like Cleveland would not be very interested in making that deal if it were offered.
“Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio’s salaries would match Westbrook’s pricey deal, reuniting [LeBron] James with a former championship counterpart,” wrote Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. “But that structure would have little interest from the Cavaliers’ side and has not yet been discussed by the two teams, sources said.”
The Cavs seem like legitimate playoff contenders in the Eastern Conference. In fact, they’re just three games out of the top spot.
Making a massive splash for Westbrook might sound interesting to some fans. However, if the Cavs were to make a deal for a superstar and give up some key players in the process, it would be a huge risk.
That’s because Cleveland seemingly has a very strong culture in place, and a massive deal could change that. For an organization that’s still not entirely done rebuilding, culture is a very important thing.
Right now, the Cavs’ focus is on the Houston Rockets, as the two teams will meet for a matchup on Wednesday. A victory for Cleveland would give the squad five in a row.
