With Russell Westbrook likely headed toward a buyout, he’ll have his pick of teams to choose from as an NBA free agent. The only catch is there won’t be many teams in pursuit of his services.
After another subpar season with the Lakers, Westbrook’s stock is at an all-time low right now, and there aren’t going to be many GMs out there willing to give him another chance.
The Los Angeles Clippers were thought to be one of the few teams in contention to sign Westbrook, but now even they are having some second thoughts about the idea.
With the trade deadline over, the market for players bought out of their contracts now opens. With one roster spot still available, the Clippers will evaluate options but are not expected to be active in scouring the market for buyout additions. One such name said to hold interest in joining the Clippers, in particular, is former Lakers point guard Russell Westbrook, who was traded to Utah on Wednesday, but insiders across the league expressed skepticism Westbrook would ultimately land in L.A., describing it as a limited possibility because of questions about fit.
With Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers don’t need star power. But what they do need is another ball-handler to plug into the backcourt. Unfortunately for Russ, it seems he isn’t their first choice to fill that need.
Ugly Details Emerge About Westbrook’s Last Days As A Laker
After failed stints in Houston and D.C., Westbrook endured the worst stretch of his career as a Laker, and it could be the beginning of the end for his time in the NBA. After the latest reports of his final moment with the team, it’s no wonder why his reputation has fallen to an all-time low.
The Lakers believe there is an addition-by-subtraction element to dealing the nine-time All-Star. The situation had become untenable over the past week or so, multiple team and league sources close to the situation told The Athletic, all of whom were granted anonymity so that they could speak freely. Two sources described the situation as “toxic.” And while Lakers owner Jeanie Buss was known to be against the idea of waiving Westbrook, sources say there was a strong sense from the coaching staff that it might be necessary if no trade was forthcoming.
Will Westbrook play in the NBA again? He’s certainly good enough to make the rotation for an NBA team, and he’d probably help a lot of them.
But with the reports about his toxic culture and the nature of his flawed game, Russ may be more of a risk than he’s worth at the moment.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
