It may be goodbye Kobe Bryant and hello Russell Westbrook for the Los Angeles Lakes come next season if the NBA trade rumors were true.
According to a report on Complex using the ESPN fantasy Trade Machine, the Oklahoma City Thunder player may be traded off to the Lakers if the latter gives up Nick Young, D'Angelo Russell and Julius Randle. The report clearly stated that Bryant won't be included in the trading block for Westbrook come next season.
The NBA trade rumors of Westbrook's Lakers trade has been swirling since July as the Oklahoma City Thunder player will be a free agent come 2016.
"They just need one big guy to go there, and the rest will follow," an NBA executive apparently said back then as quoted by ESPN. I expect [Russell] Westbrook and [James] Harden to join forces there when they become free. It definitely still has allure. It's still L.A., and they are still the Lakers. No free agent can question whether or not they will spend the money to win titles."
Back in April though, Sports World Report cited that Westbrook has been not been entertaining the idea of the trade and was just focused on his play for the Oklahoma City Thunders this year.
But as told in another NBA trade rumor, Kobe Bryant might traded off even before the trade deadline line. A report on Recorder Press indicated that the Lakers player's current performance might have something to do with it. But the report also said that Bryant might have a turnaround this season that's reportedly his last one.
"All indications are, to me, from him, that this (two-year contract) is going to be it," Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak told NBA last year about Bryant. "If somebody's thinking of buying a ticket three years from now to see Kobe play, I would not do that. Don't wait. Do it this year."
