#nba #losangeleslakers #lebronjames https://twitter.com/MemphisX_NBA Maybe someday there will be a clear-eyed explanation for why the Lakers decided to push in for Russell Westbrook, to trust their stars’ desires for another All-NBA type instead of a more minor alteration in the form of Buddy Hield. Maybe it was just a short-sighted grab at more firepower. Maybe it was about asserting power and appeasing superstars. Or maybe it was just a flat-out mistake, a gamble that quickly hit bust. It’s all sort of irrelevant now as the Lakers stare a massive decision in the face. Do they really want to come into training camp with Westbrook on their team or are they willing to pay a steep cost to try to undo it? In conversations with executives from rival teams in both conferences, it’s clear what the cost for any deal is going to be. It will take at least one first-round pick to park Westbrook somewhere and a second first-round pick to bring back multiple rotation pieces, sources with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly said. Those prices could rise (possibly with pick swaps) or lower (bad contracts coming back to the Lakers) depending on variables. Houston Rockets' Russell Westbrook, right, is fouled by Los Angeles Clippers' Patrick Beverley LAKERS Why do Lakers fans think Patrick Beverley and Russell Westbrook hate each other? Aug. 25, 2022 One of those variables, Donovan Mitchell’s status with the Utah Jazz, removed itself Thursday when the Jazz reportedly swung a surprise deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers, sending Mitchell to LeBron James’ old team for a trio of young players and first-round picks. It formalized what many around the NBA have viewed as the two most viable paths for the Lakers to improve now. Either the Lakers up their offers in pursuit of a trade centered on Myles Turner and Hield in Indiana or they turn their sights back to the Jazz to try to pick the bones of a former contender thrust into a rebuild. A deal with the Jazz and the Lakers can make a lot of sense for both parties. The teams have already worked together this offseason on the Patrick Beverley-Talen Horton-Tucker deal. The Lakers have future draft assets and a need for more quality role players, which makes the Jazz seem like the right spot to look for a redo on the Westbrook trade. Intro Performed by https://twitter.com/Keila_Grandz Bubble ( Instrumental ) by KeyAno Beats https://soundcloud.com/keyanobeats is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...) Promoted by: CFC https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQLZ... ▶ ✔ DOWNLOAD THIS TRACK : http://bit.ly/Bubble-INS