Assuming that the Los Angeles Lakers decide not to trade Russell Westbrook this summer, is there a world wherein the former league MVP will be able to co-exist on the same team with new recruit and long-time nemesis Patrick Beverley? These two have had their fair share of battles on the basketball court, and it's not going to be easy for them to bury the hatchet now that they're on the same squad.

For his part, renowned Fox Sports broadcaster Skip Bayless believes that this isn't going to happen. He commended Beverley for being a true professional, but on the contrary, Skip doesn't believe that Westbrook will be able to get past his history with Pat Bev.

At this point, the Lakers seem to be at an impasse. In his mind, though, Skip Bayless clearly believes that Beverley is much more valuable for the Lakers right now as opposed to Russ (h/t Nico Martinez of Fadeaway World):

“Now Patrick is gonna take some, if not a whole lot, of Westbrook's minutes,” Bayless said. “Because Shannon in the end, with God as my witness, what I believe here is, Patrick Beverley right now is better than Russell Westbrook. He's more valuable in so many ways. He's a better three-point shooter, he's a better playmaker. He makes all the right plays.”

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1Ot0D0tHM49p8zV7PPjmUp?si=3ac20f9ca16f4125

I'm not sure Russ is going to be happy about Beverley — of all people — eating into his minutes. However, the harsh reality is that Beverley is just the better option for the Lakers right now — at least according to Skip.

Bayless' truth bombs did not end there. He even went as far as saying that free agent Dennis Schroder, who already has experience playing alongside LeBron James and the rest of the Lakers squad, would be a better option as opposed to Westbrook:

“Right now, Dennis Schröder is better than Russell Westbrook,” Bayless said. “He would be more acceptable to LeBron, he would fit better next to LeBron and AD. He averaged 15 and 6 for the Lakers two years ago. He's pretty nifty… Very good in the pick and roll. He would be much useful to LeBron and a better fit for LeBron than Russ would be… He's not more delusional than Russell Westbrook about what his worth is.”

That's harsh. Bayless has had his fair share of highly-publicized spats with Russell Westbrook, and it is clear that he's not a very big fan of the embattled former All-Star.