The Lakers have two first-round picks they can trade — 2027 and 2029, although they could convey a year earlier — but have been very reluctant to include them in any trade negotiations. After dealing away a lot of picks to land Anthony Davis (which resulted in banner No. 17), the Lakers want to restock, not keep sending out future picks.
They don’t have a choice if they want to trade Russell Westbrook. And while the Lakers reportedly have put one pick (with little or no protections) in their conversations about a Kyrie Irving trade with the Nets, it may require both picks to get the deal done reports Michael Scotto of Hoopshype on the Hoopshype podcast:
When it comes to any potential Russell Westbrook and Kyrie Irving trade talks, or if the Lakers are moving Westbrook to any team, both future first-round picks have to be included. You already saw Indiana decline multiple second-round picks (in addition to one first-round pick)… If the Nets were going to get Westbrook, my assumption would be there will be a third team involved, and one of those first-round picks would go to a team with salary cap space like the Pacers or Spurs, for example. They’d likely have more of an appetite for buying him out to get a first-round pick.
That is the most-discussed and logical scenario for a Westbrook for Irving trade: Irving to the Lakers, a pick to the Nets (plus maybe a player or two, but lower-level contracts), and Westbrook and a pick to the Spurs (or Pacers). That team would then buy out Westbrook, making him a free agent.
There are a lot of hurdles to getting that done, starting with getting the Lakers to put both picks in the mix. Sources around the league say the Lakers have been reluctant to put both picks in the mix. Then
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