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Russell Westbrook's time with the Los Angeles Lakers has been far from ideal and the team even tried to trade him at the February 10th deadline but were unsuccessful in their efforts.
Now, it appears the coaching staff was the true driving force behind the move, but there wasn't a belief that John Wall could come in and make a difference for the Lakers after being benched all season with the Houston Rockets.
Via The Athletic's Sam Amick and Bill Oram:
Sources say the coaching staff made an unsuccessful push for Westbrook to be traded before the Feb. 10 deadline, when the Lakers passed on Houston’s John Wall, in part, because of the draft considerations that it would have required to make the deal. There were also significant concerns about the fact that Wall hadn’t played all season and, thus, didn’t instill confidence in his ability to help the Lakers turn their season around.
Yet now, it appears, the friction between Westbrook and the coaching staff has only grown worse. Sources confirmed the recent rising of tensions between Westbrook and the coaching staff, which were first reported by Marc Stein. If only for a night, Westbrook’s 20-point, four-assist, four-rebound, plus-13 outing against the Warriors on Saturday offered a reminder that he is capable of being part of the solution. But the performance was an outlier, to say the least.
The Lakers staff have reportedly tried to help Russ break out of his struggles, but he isn't responding kindly to it. Saturday's performance against the Warriors was a huge step in the right direction for the veteran guard though, actually playing a key part in the win as he posted 20 points, four rebounds, and four assists.
At this point, the relationship between Westbrook and the Lakers coaches sounds absolutely deteriorated. But, if he can start producing on a more consistent basis and actually help LA make a playoff push, maybe his future with the organization won't look so dismal. Only time will tell.
