As a sports data analyst who’s modeled NBA seasons using Python and machine learning, I’ve run the numbers on a wild 'what-if': What if the Lakers had swapped Russell Westbrook for LeBron James in 2019? Using salary parity, team synergy, and championship probability models, here’s why that trade might’ve rewritten history. Spoiler: The math doesn’t lie—and it’s colder than a January game in Cleveland. Let’s break down the odds.