If Knicks trade for Donovan Mitchell, Lakers could make it three-way trade including Russell Westbrook

If the Knicks manage to win the trade race for Utah’s Donovan Mitchell, or even if another team unexpectedly beats them to Mitchell, league sources say there’s a decent chance that the Lakers will be involved in the deal. The two future first-round picks that the Lakers possess in 2027 and 2029 are the kind of top-shelf draft picks that Jazz CEO Danny Ainge is believed to covet. Russell Westbrook’s $47 million expiring contract and those picks could be the Lakers’ entree to a potential three-team swap … depending on the players that would land in Los Angeles.
Source: Marc Stein @ marcstein.substack.com

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Kurt Helin @basketballtalk
Report: “Decent chance” Lakers send out Westbrook as third team in Mitchell trade nba.nbcsports.com/2022/08/28/rep… – 2:43 PM Ian Begley @IanBegley
From earlier: With Cavs exiting Donovan Mitchell trade talks, it seems like the deal is still the Knicks’ to lose. At the moment, NYK can make best offer for Mitchell even if you take RJ Barrett off the table. More on that & a note on Nets/Mitchell here: sny.tv/articles/knick… – 1:34 PM Steve Popper @StevePopper
Knicks Sunday column: Dealing for Donovan Mitchell makes sense — only if the price is right newsday.com/sports/columni… via @Newsday – 8:05 AM Sam Quinn @SamQuinnCBS
FanDuel is offering +12000 on Russell Westbrook to win Most Improved Player. pic.twitter.com/eaaf7dUGIK – 5:47 PM Dave Early @DavidEarly
Every time I read or hear the Knicks have the best possible offer for Donovan Mitchell I picture Sam Presti swimming in his pick vault pic.twitter.com/htVW4cDq3F – 1:25 PM Kurt Helin @basketballtalk
Lakers looking for upgrades, no “concerted effort” to trade Westbrook nba.nbcsports.com/2022/08/27/lak… – 12:32 PM Sarah Todd @NBASarah
The case for trading Donovan Mitchell before training camp https://t.co/AO4JQtomE5 pic.twitter.com/NDpIXJmLeG – 12:00 PM Donovan Mitchell @spidadmitchell
Mark Canha 🔥🔥 – 9:58 PM Donovan Mitchell @spidadmitchell
IYKYK😂😂 pic.twitter.com/KGWPRscaII – 9:11 PM Eric Pincus @EricPincus
I was asked – if Lakers can get Turner & Buddy for Westbrook, should they also try to get Bojan Bogdanovic in a 3-way w/Utah? Taking those premises on face value – adding Bojan would cost the Lakers an extra $80 mil in salary/tax. So, no, think they’d just play Swider on a 2-way – 6:37 PM Kurt Helin @basketballtalk
Report Jazz want to “apply the gas” to get Donovan Mitchell trade done nba.nbcsports.com/2022/08/26/rep… – 6:00 PM The Ringer @ringernba
Pat Bev is gonna provide everything the Lakers haven’t gotten from Russell Westbrook.
📼: https://t.co/z1nYW8Lbc7 pic.twitter.com/JgvKXWPBcl – 5:22 PM Ian Begley @IanBegley
With Cavs removing themselves from Donovan Mitchell trade talks, seems like the deal is still Knicks’ to lose. At the moment, NYK can make best offer for Mitchell even if you take RJ Barrett off the table. More on that and a note on Nets/Mitchell here: sny.tv/articles/knick… – 4:22 PM Jake Fischer @JakeLFischer
We are live on @getcallin with @Michael Scotto.
Talking Nets, Donovan Mitchell, Lakers, and taking your questions: callin.com/link/LmVYUTnUXI – 4:00 PM StatMuse @statmuse
MVP Westbrook:
31.7 PPG
10.7 RPG
10.4 APG
42 triple-doubles
2K numbers. pic.twitter.com/lRLogtsAb4 – 3:15 PM Emiliano Carchia @Sportando
Brian Windhorst: Jazz want to trade Donovan Mitchell before training camp
sportando.basketball/en/brian-windh… – 2:19 PM Brian Windhorst @WindhorstESPN
New podcast. Donovan Mitchell talks intensify & involve numerous teams + an actual basketball look at Nets (w/@Tim Bontemps & @Tim MacMahon) spoti.fi/3RexrNc – 1:17 PM Kamenetzky Brothers @KamBrothers
ICYMI, the latest @LockedOnLakers podcast! We react to the Patrick Beverley trade, speculate about Russell Westbrook’s future with the Lakers, and lament the debacle that was Talen Horton-Tucker’s contract. #FirstListen @LockedOnNBAPods @LockedOnNetwork
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/loc… – 1:15 PM StatMuse @statmuse
Most PPG + RPG + APG by an MVP since the merger:
52.6 — Westbrook
48.7 — Jokic
48.7 — Giannis
47.5 — Malone pic.twitter.com/qzWmgZf8sZ – 1:00 PM NBA on ESPN @ESPNNBA
“Dealing for Beverley seems to make it all the more likely Westbrook begins the season elsewhere …”
@Kevin Pelton shares his Patrick Beverley trade grades (@ESPNPlus) 👇 es.pn/3ThoZyL – 12:35 PM Ian Begley @IanBegley
Cleveland Cavaliers have removed themselves from Donovan Mitchell trade talks, per SNY sources. Doesn’t seem like there are any suitors at moment who can approach what Knicks can offer Utah – even if you take RJ Barrett off the table. So this trade is still NYK’s to lose. – 12:23 PM Wes Goldberg @wcgoldberg
New @LockedOnNetwork NBA show w/ @Mike Richman
– Patrick Beverley to the Lakers
– What’s next for Westbrook?
– Donovan Mitchell latest
– Chet Holmgren’s injury is a bummer
– Most clutch players in the NBA
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/loc… – 10:18 AM Donovan Mitchell @spidadmitchell
Damn Hov🔥🔥🔥 – 9:47 AM StatMuse @statmuse
Active players with 10+ triple-doubles against one team:
— Westbrook against the Pacers
No other active player has more than 7 triple-doubles against a single team. pic.twitter.com/bmbRCTDwGT – 8:30 AM Kurt Helin @basketballtalk
Is Beverley signing with Lakers a sign Westbrook will be off the roster? nba.nbcsports.com/2022/08/26/is-… – 7:54 AM Bill Ingram @TheRocketGuy
I keep reading speculation that the Lakers’ acquisition of @Patrick Beverley means Russell Westbrook is gone. I have great respect for Bev and everything he went through to get to the #NBA, but he’s not HOF like Westbrook. That’s just crazy talk. – 6:52 AM Emiliano Carchia @Sportando
Russell Westbrook to be off the Lakers’ active roster by the start of training camp?
sportando.basketball/en/russell-wes… – 5:32 AM CBS NBA @CBSSportsNBA
Lakers’ Russell Westbrook more likely to be traded or sent home after Patrick Beverley deal, per report
cbssports.com/nba/news/laker… – 10:17 PM Eric Pincus @EricPincus
Latest @BleacherReport Are Lakers Less or More Likely to Trade Russell Westbrook After Pat Bev Deal?
bleacherreport.com/articles/10046… – 9:20 PM StatMuse @statmuse
Most points by season:
2013 — Durant
2014 — Durant
2015 — Harden
2016 — Harden
2017 — Westbrook
2018 — LeBron
2019 — Harden
2020 — Harden
2021 — Steph
2022 — Trae pic.twitter.com/ex63bfElat – 7:15 PM Jovan Buha @jovanbuha
The Lakers upgraded their roster in the short and long-term by trading for Patrick Beverley on Thursday.
On Beverley’s fit with the Lakers, the Beverley-Westbrook feud, the mismanagement of THT as an asset, and LA’s future moves: theathletic.com/3537009/2022/0… – 5:43 PM Jake Fischer @JakeLFischer
We’re back in the States, and back on @getcallin tomorrow at 4ET with New York’s own @Michael Scotto.
Breaking down Kevin Durant rescinding his trade request, the ongoing Donovan Mitchell trade sweepstakes, Lakers moves, and taking your questions: callin.com/link/LmVYUTnUXI – 4:10 PM Fred Katz @FredKatz
An all-trade Knicks mailbag, touching on Donovan Mitchell stuff, if there are any other stars that could pop up, a random Josh Hart stat, Julius Randle’s prospects and more ($1/mo subscription offer inside the link): https://t.co/hg2Yr98dFg pic.twitter.com/H0ax6D3APk – 2:44 PM Wes Goldberg @wcgoldberg
New @LockedOnHeat mailbag pod
– Latest on Donovan Mitchell
– Myles Turner’s potential fit
– Collin Sexton
– Montrezl Harrell
– What’s at stake for Duncan Robinson in camp?
– Best Heat players to bring on a bachelor party
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/loc… – 2:06 PM

More on this storyline

Yet I am also hearing that, if no trade involving Westbrook materializes and if he is on the roster when the Lakers start practicing on Sept. 27, new Lakers coach Darvin Ham remains determined to carve out a real role for Westbrook. Sources say that the Lakers, to date, have strongly resisted the idea of shelving Westbrook completely until they can find a trade for him like the Rockets tried last season with John Wall — even after trading for longtime Westbrook adversary Patrick Beverley. Westbrook, who turns 34 in November, appeared in 78 of the Lakers’ 82 games last season. -via marcstein.substack.com / August 28, 2022 Speaking about the future plans for the Lakers on “The Rich Eisen Show,” Shams Charania said: “I would expect the Lakers to continue to look at the marketplace to make their team better and you know I don’t think there’s a concerted effort to moving Russell Westbrook. I think the concerted effort is can we make a deal with certain players on the roster with the picks that we have to improve this team.” -via SportsKeeda / August 27, 2022 Per one NBA executive, the Lakers have three remaining “obvious” partners they should pursue to make a Westbrook swap in the Indiana Pacers, San Antonio Spurs or Utah Jazz. -via Bleacher Report / August 26, 2022 Several teams, including the Nets and Miami Heat, reportedly have interest in Donovan Mitchell. But some members of the Nets organization like where the roster is at the moment and don’t feel a sense or urgency to pursue Mitchell. Miami would probably need to engage a third team to produce enough draft capital to satisfy Utah. The Heat can currently trade three future first-round picks. -via SportsNet New York / August 28, 2022 With the Kevin Durant trade drama over (for now), league focus has turned to the Mitchell trade and the Jazz want to get it done, reports Brian Windhorst of ESPN on his Hoop Collective podcast. “ MacMahon, you said, I believe last week, that you thought that the Jazz would make a Donovan Mitchell trade before the opener. And it sounds to me in talking to people around the league that the Jazz want to try to go even sooner than that. They want to go before training camp… “It does sound as I talk to folks in the league that the Jazz are trying to apply the gas here. To try to juice the offer, especially juice the offer from the New York Knicks.” -via NBC Sports / August 27, 2022 Brian Windhorst: I can confirm that that the Cavs have talked to the Jazz in the last week. -via Spotify / August 27, 2022