Russell Westbrook has played himself out of the LA Lakers trade hunt.
With the Lakers looking to trade for a star player, will it be a blessing or a curse if their number one target is Russell Westbrook?
Head coach Darwin Ham made the executive choice to move Russell Westbrook to the bench, and it has actually paid off greatly. The group has actually been so amazed with his play off the bench that Russell Westbrook might end the year with the Lakers.
In 23 video games as a reserve this year, Westbrook is balancing 15.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 7.2 assists.
After a rough very first season with the LA Lakers, numerous anticipated Russell Westbrook to be on the relocation this season. Really early on, it ended up being clear that the previous MVP was not an ideal fit beside LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Reports swirled to open the year however passed away down after it was clear the Lakers didn’t desire to part with their 2027 and 2029 first-round picks. It appears they have changed their minds in regard to Russell Westbrook.
Should the Lakers hold on to Russell Westbrook following his excellent run off the bench?
Westbrook’s emergence has been a great feel-good story, however if the Lakers wish to be back in the playoffs, they need to keep trade ideas on the table.
Over the previous month, Westbrook has managed to salvage some of his value. Rather of letting his agreement flight out, they ought to be looking to get a return on their financial investment. There is a possibility they could move him now and land depth pieces to complete their rotation.
Darwin Ham and the LA Lakers may have discovered a method to make Russell Westbrook more efficient, but that ought to not change their stance on a trade. Westbrook just repairs among their lots of concerns.
Anthony Davis is dipping into an MVP level and LeBron James is still a high-impact player. The Lakers should seek to take advantage of this by upgrading their supporting cast. This can not be done unless they move Westbrook and his enormous contract.
Head coach Darwin Ham made the executive decision to move Russell Westbrook to the bench, and it has paid off considerably. The team has actually been so satisfied with his play off the bench that Russell Westbrook might end the year with the Lakers. Over the past month, Westbrook has actually managed to restore some of his value. This can not be done unless they move Westbrook and his massive contract.
Even with Westbrook dipping into a greater level, the Lakers still sit outside the playoff picture with a record of 11-16. This is in large part due to the fact that their supporting cast is exceptionally underwhelming compared to the remainder of the league.