The 2021-22 season went about as bad as it could have gone for the Los Angeles Lakers. One guy who (right or wrong) increasingly caught blame for this was Russell Westbrook, and he is still getting heat. The nine-time All-Star averaged 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 7.1 assists this past season. The fit in the Lakers' offense clearly was not perfect, leading to rumors of a potential trade. Those continue to ramp up with the possibility of Kyrie Irving heading to Hollywood.

Westbrook has done an impressive job continuing to go about his business in a team-first manner since the season ended. He made news for attending Darvin Ham's initial press conference and has been present at the Las Vegas Summer League. It also appeared that LeBron James and Russell Westbrook did not interact at the matchup, which sent Twitter into a frenzy. Kendrick Perkins took to Get Up to give his two cents on why Westbrook is better off staying away from the Lakers' young talent:

Trades are one of the ugly parts of the business of sports. Russell Westbrook is more than familiar with this as he has been traded three times since 2019. The NBA world has seemingly been put on pause since the news of a Kevin Durant trade request became public. The uncertainty is Brooklyn is sure to have an impact on the Lakers as the franchise seems to have the biggest interest in Kyrie Irving. If there is any type of trade for Irving in the works, it would make sense for Westbrook to be involved.

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With the potential to be traded out of his control, Westbrook has no choice but to keep his head down and continue to grind. The 33-year-old is clearly not the superstar talent he once was, but he still could make a positive impact on an NBA team moving forward. New head coach Darvin Ham has been extremely open in his criticism of Westbrook's usage under the past regime:

While Kendrick Perkins is correct about the possibility of Russell Westbrook being on the move, he must prepare as if he is set to return to the Lakers next season. The former MVP is heading into the final year of his contract and is set to make $47 million next season. As Westbrook transitions into the later years of his career, having a positive locker room presence becomes increasingly important. It is a positive sign to see him taking the time to watch his potential young teammates and be present with the franchise. Give the veteran respect for taking steps to swallow his ego in his attempt to move into the next chapter of his career.