With the 2022 NBA Draft complete, the next big thing this NBA offseason is the league's free agency period. Many stars are still deciding whether or not to opt into their player options or test the waters of free agency. This includes Russell Westbrook, who has yet to sign his $47 million player option with the Los Angeles Lakers.
According to Rob Pelinka, the team has high expectations if he decides to stay in Los Angeles for the upcoming season. He told the media that he and Darvin Ham have discussed Westbrook's role with him in multiple meetings.
The Athletic's Jovan Buha tweeted the news early Friday morning.
Rob Pelinka says he and Davin Ham have had multiple meetings with Russell Westbrook and have been honest about Russ' role on the team and that he needs to be a defense-first player. He says Westbrook has yet to make a final decision on his player option for the 2022-23 season.
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) June 24, 2022
Pelinka and the new Lakers head coach demand a “defense-first” approach from Westbrook in the 2022-2023 season. The VP said that the Lakers leadership has been open about these expectations for Westbrook moving forward.
The Lakers have every right to expect this from Westbrook. He's a highly regarded player and $47 million is a huge amount of money for a player option.
The Lakers acquired him shortly before the start of the 2021-2022 season, expecting the star that averaged a triple-double the season before with the Washington Wizards. Instead, the veteran guard clearly struggled and was a large contributor to the Lakers' late season downfall. They finished 33-49 with no trip to the postseason tournament for the first time in three years.
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