The Lakers’ situation is pretty clear: They would like to trade Russell Westbrook before the season starts (ideally before training camp). However, other teams want sweeteners to take him (and his $47 million contract), and because of their very limited trade assets, the Lakers don’t want to put all their eggs in a basket that doesn’t make them title contenders. Put simply, the Lakers don’t want to trade the last two first-round picks under their control this decade (2027 and 2029) just to be a good playoff team — they will do it for a shot at a ring.