Rockets would take Russell Westbrook back in trade

I have been advised that I should amend my previous characterization of the Lakers’ finding a Westbrook trade from outright impossible to extremely unlikely. There is at least one team out there that would take him, league sources say, if the conditions are right. That team, surprisingly, is the Houston Rockets.
Source: Marc Stein @ marcstein.substack.com

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Emiliano Carchia @Sportando
Rockets open to trading John Wall to Lakers for Westbrook and draft compensation?
sportando.basketball/en/rockets-ope… – 3:59 PM

Alvaro Martin @AlvaroNBAMartin
La posibilidad de que Westbrook sea enviado de vuelta a Houston me recuerda el cuento del genial Guillermo Álvarez Guedes del niño vendiendo el guanajo (pavo o guajolote en México). ADVERTENCIA: contenido y lenguaje soez.
youtube.com/watch?v=_FI168… – 3:58 PM

Sam Quinn @SamQuinnCBS
I would give Houston multiple second-round picks in a Russell Westbrook for John Wall swap.
I would not give Houston a first-round pick. I would not give Houston Talen Horton-Tucker. – 3:55 PM

Sean Highkin @highkin
Westbrook and Wall being traded for each other *twice* on “untradable” contracts would be one of the funniest things in NBA history. – 3:44 PM

Marc Stein @TheSteinLine
It’s time to upgrade the idea of the Lakers trading Russell Westbrook from outright impossible to extremely unlikely.
My latest This Week In Basketball column, just out now, examines the conditions required to establish a market for a Russ deal: marcstein.substack.com/p/the-plausibi… – 3:30 PM

Kamenetzky Brothers @KamBrothers
Friday’s @LockedOnLakers podcast! We discuss the Frank Vogel/Russell Westbrook dynamic moving forward after the Indy benching… and will Vogel be around long enough for that to even matter? #FirstListen @LockedOnNBAPods @LockedOnNetwork
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/can… – 12:22 PM

CBS NBA @CBSSportsNBA
Russell Westbrook surprised by benching, but accepts it: ‘I’ll have to better, and I know that I will be’
cbssports.com/nba/news/russe… – 11:48 AM

Emiliano Carchia @Sportando
Westbrook on being benched vs Pacers: I was disappointed but I’m more disappointed that we lost sportando.basketball/en/westbrook-o… – 9:32 AM

Adrian Wojnarowski @wojespn
On his fourth-quarter benching, Los Angeles Lakers star Russell Westbrook tells ESPN: “Surprised, yes. I was disappointed I didn’t go back in, but I’m more disappointed that we lost the damn game.” Story: es.pn/3FTKgGB – 8:38 AM

Stephen Noh @StephNoh
Russell Westbrook is the latest scapegoat for the Lakers’ problems, but shoddy roster construction from GM Rob Pelinka is what really deserves the blame:
sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/ch… – 10:55 PM

Micah Adams @MicahAdams13
The Lakers benched Russell Westbrook.
Why their issues run far deeper than a $44 million dollar scapegoat.
✍️ ⁦@Stephen Noh⁩ sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/ch… – 10:30 PM

The Ringer @ringernba
💯 The rumors of Frank Vogel’s job being in jeopardy
💯 The Russell Westbrook experiment
#RealOnes with @Logan Murdock and @Bell19Raja: open.spotify.com/episode/0xbNlq… – 5:28 PM

Brandon Rahbar @BrandonRahbar
Russell Westbrook is an OKC legend and will always be beloved by the organization, city and fans.
But there is no chance the Thunder are going to make a trade for Russ. – 5:13 PM

Kyle Goon @kylegoon
Last month, the Lakers made a philosophical change to embrace small ball. But it was designed to unlock the best version of LeBron James; Russell Westbrook was left to figure out his own role.
That laid the foundation for where the Lakers are now: ocregister.com/2022/01/20/how… – 5:01 PM

Andrew Bogut @RogueBoguesPod
Basketball Pod Episode 49 – The @Sacramento Kings “Cold As Ice” has been banned by the @NBA
Listen to it here 👇
https://t.co/u0OwdyWBh0
#LetsGetRogue #RogueBogues #NBA #Kings #Westbrook pic.twitter.com/zxsEqZC5n6 – 4:56 PM

More on this storyline

I, like many around the league, was previously under the impression that the Rockets would have less than zero interest in a Westbrook reunion after Houston traded Westbrook to Washington for John Wall in December 2020 shortly before the start of last season. I’ve since learned that the Rockets — while indeed holding no interest in having Westbrook play for them again — actually would be amenable to another Westbrook-for-Wall swap if the Lakers incentivized the trade with sufficient draft compensation. -via marcstein.substack.com / January 21, 2022

To be clear: This is not a scenario likely to materialize between now and Feb. 10 or one I would advise the Lakers to pursue so soon even after all of my criticism of the Westbrook trade in the first place. Yet sources say that the Lakers could convince Houston to take Westbrook back for Wall if they attached their 2027 first-round draft pick to the deal. The Lakers could naturally try to offer multiple second-round picks instead, but L.A.’s 2027 first-rounder is the piece rival teams naturally covet. -via marcstein.substack.com / January 21, 2022

The team could try to trade Westbrook, but sources say the market is nonexistent. If he were in the final year of his deal, the Lakers might have a shot. But at this point, no other team wants to commit to paying Westbrook $47 million next season. -via Bleacher Report / January 19, 2022