Things aren't looking so good for the Los Angeles Lakers right now. Mathematically speaking, they still have a shot at securing a spot in the Play-In tournament. However, with how tough their schedule is looking the rest of the way and with both LeBron James and Anthony Davis nursing injuries, the harsh reality is that Lakers fans should be bracing themselves for a way-too-early summer vacation for their squad.
It goes without saying that it's going to be a tough summer ahead for the Lakers. It is clear that major changes need to be made on this roster as they look towards the 2022-23 season. LeBron James is still going to be their cornerstone superstar next year (barring any mind-blowingly unforeseen circumstances, of course) and they will want to surround The King with players that can help him win another championship. Sadly, Russell Westbrook does not appear to fit that mold.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0SSn0BoMA9iXWwwHeQpYKh?si=3d5f97ecbf1a4af8
NBA insider Brian Windhorst of ESPN recently suggested that it will be in the best interest of the Lakers to try and find a trade partner for Russ this coming offseason. Westbrook isn't exactly the most marketable player right now, so in his mind, Windhorst believes that LA should be willing to take whatever they can in a potential Westbrook deal:
“Into the offseason, the longer range, I would love to tell you that I had a blueprint ready for what the Lakers need to do,” Windhorst started. “The only thing I can say is they should call all 29 other teams and say, ‘What will you give me for Russell Westbrook as an expiring contract? We are willing to take back money. You're not trading for him as a player. You're trading for him as an expiring contract — $47 million.'”
Unfortunately, this is how grim things are looking right now for the former league MVP. He's had a horrible first season in Hollywood and it is clear that he just isn't a good fit there. All the naysayers who called out the Lakers for trading for Russ last summer are now proving to be prophetic in how they so accurately predicted the problems LA would have to deal with once Westbrook was in the mix. Russ' fall from grace has been nothing short of astounding.
Given all this, Windhorst believes that the Lakers need to be desperate in their pursuit of a Russell Westbrook trade:
“If you can find a taker, take anything that you can get. And then you try to assess what you have,” Windhorst said. “That to me is their first order of business. I don't know if it will be able to do it.”
The big question now, however, is who would be willing to take a 33-year-old that is set to earn close to $50 million next season? Windhorst points out that it's no longer what Westbrook brings to the table in the basketball sense that will make him (somewhat) valuable. The Lakers will be banking on the fact that he's on an expiring deal.
Former NFL cornerback Dominique Foxworth, a contributor on First Take, raised an excellent point about potential Westbrook takers out there. According to Foxworth, tanking teams could show some interest in trading for Westbrook simply because of his star power:
“The scary part is who wants to take on Russell for $47 million,” Foxworth said. “I assume there are teams that are planning to tank and having Russell on your roster might puts some butts in the seats while you are losing because his value as a player — not that it was all that high before — it's gone down to a point where I can't imagine a team wanting to bring him in in order to make a run. It's just a sad place to be in for such a great, great player.”
Westbrook can still ball. This season, he's averaging 18.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game. And he's doing that while playing alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Russ is a ball-dominant guard so you can imagine how much he would thrive in a team that has no other superstar on the roster. We've seen this so many times in the past. He may no longer be the triple-double machine he once was (although this still isn't out of the equation) but as Foxwroth suggested, his show-stopping style of play should be enough to draw in the crowds.
The Lakers' front office has their work cut out for them in the offseason and it is clear that much of their efforts will need to focus on Russell Westbrook.
Follow Us
Subscribe