The Los Angeles Lakers' offseason trade for Russell Westbrook was extremely polarizing at the time. Fans were split on whether this trade would actually help them win a championship. Halfway into the season, it's become increasingly clear that the trade was a dud for the franchise.

Sitting at 27 – 35, the Lakers are nowhere near the title contenders they were hyped up to be. Part of the reason why is Westbrook himself: the former MVP has been a shell of himself this season. Russ' terrible performance put him on the crosshairs of Magic Johnson, who blasted the Westbrook trade as “the worst in Lakers history” if they don't bounce back.

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There are countless other factors to the Lakers' collapse this season. However, Westbrook's implosion is the one that's the most talked about, and for good reason. He was traded from the Wizards for a significant chunk of their championship roster in a clear win-now move. However, he has not gelled well with LeBron James, and has failed to work on some of his flaws.

The situation has gotten so bad that the Lakers are faintly considering the idea of moving Westbrook to the bench. The problem is simply that James and Westbrook don't coexist, primarily due to the latter's absence of an off-ball game. His refusal to cut (which has long been criticized) and lack of a deep ball don't work well in a LeBron offense.

Unless Westbrook warms up to the idea of coming off the bench, we might see this Lakers team spiral more and more. It's an unfortunate end to a season that seemed so promising initially.