Is trading for oft-injured Malcolm Brogdon worth the risk?

It’s no secret — well, to me at least — that general manager Rob Pelinka and his Lakers are looking to move Russell Westbrook this summer, regardless of what new coach Darvin Ham or anyone else in the organization is saying.

And in a trade that has been discussed since at least last season’s trade deadline, the Lakers are again rumored to have shown interest in a swap centered around Westbrook and the Indiana Pacers’ guard Malcolm Brogdon. Most recently, ESPN draft guru Jonathan Givony threw out a hypothetical trade package involving those two on Zach Lowe’s The Lowe Post.

Although some outlets incorrectly aggregated that the Lakers had actually offered a rejected deal, Givony was only throwing out potential scenarios. Even the package he threw out — Talen Horton-Tucker, a first-round pick, and Westbrook — wouldn’t be possible under the current CBA rules.

Assuming there is actual interest on the Lakers’ end to bring in Brogdon, the most important question that needs answering is the status of his extensive injury history. In my latest video, I examined that record and the risks associated with it.

This is such a tough situation to evaluate because Brogdon is an extremely good fit with the Lakers’ current stars basketball-wise. Still, their need for a player of his profile must be balanced with his projected ability to stay on the court. With LeBron’s ability to lead his team to contention — at least in the purple and gold — potentially nearing its end, the Lakers’ braintrust may feel pressed to accept greater risk in an attempt to pry that window open.

Only time will tell.

Dr. Rajpal Brar, DPT has a doctorate in physical therapy from Northern Arizona University, and runs his own in-person and online sports medicine and performance business, 3CB Performance, in West LA and Valencia, CA in which he further combines his movement expertise and fitness training. He also works at a hospital — giving him experience with patients in the immediate healthcare setting and neurological patients (post stroke, post brain injury) — and has been practicing for 4 years. Brar is additionally training at UCLA’s mindful awareness research center (MARC), has a background in youth basketball coaching and analyzes the Lakers from a medical and skills perspective for Silver Screen and Roll and on his own YouTube Channel. You can follow him on Twitter at @3cbPerformance.