EL SEGUNDO, CA – According to ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, the Los Angeles Lakers are closing in on a deal to land Washington Wizards point guard Russell Westbrook
Westbrook, the modern-day Oscar Robertson, has led the league in triple doubles since being drafted fourth overall by the Seattle SuperSonics in the 2008 NBA Draft out of UCLA—and followed them to Oklahoma City with additional stops in Houston and Washington—could be the missing piece in helping his hometown Lakers capture their 18th NBA title.
Pending approval, Westbrook would join a revamped Lakers team led by Lebron James and Anthony Davis in exchange for Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell and this year’s first round pick.
In 65 games with the Wizards, the 32-year-old Westbrook averaged a triple-double in scoring 22.2 points, 11.5 rebounds and 11.7 assists. For the season, Westbrook shot 43.9 percent from the field, 31.5 percent from three-point range and 65.6 percent from the free throw line.