The Los Angeles Lakers have been pretty active in the offseason so far. Signing a bunch of players in free agency, the Lakers have somewhat revamped their rotation. While they resorted to a lineup which was consisting majorly of veterans, this time, the Lakers have signed many younger players to their roster.
While these minor moves are fine, they still haven’t addressed perhaps their biggest puzzle of the offseason, Russell Westbrook. Last season, the Purple and Gold thought they were adding a superstar in Westbrook, but that quickly deflated. While Westbrook certainly wasn’t the only reason for the Lakers’ terrible season, his impact on the court was minimal and he failed to perform at a high level. Given how the team struggled with Brodie running the floor, many fans and pundits have been adamant about a Westbrook trade.
Los Angeles Lakers Taking A Wait And See Approach To Russell Westbrook Trade
Rumors of a possible Westbrook trade have been rampant throughout the offseason. While some are busy linking the 2017 MVP to the Pacers, according to the latest sources, the Lakers are taking a ‘wait and see’ approach for the Westbrook trade.
Spurs Insider AJ Ellis writes:
According to a Western Conference scout, the Lakers are telling teams that they will take a wait and see approach to trading Westbrook as training camp approaches. If the Lakers decide to trade Westbrook at some point down the line, the Spurs remain one of the few teams in the league open to such a deal.
This is certainly an interesting approach to take by the Lakers. Given that the Lakers are bringing in new coaching staff, things might change for the better for ‘Brodie’. Even new head coach Darvin Ham has been insistent on giving Russell Westbrook a real chance to showcase his talents.
If Westbrook can really mesh with the team at least in the initial stage of the season, there won’t be a need to trade away Westbrook. But if things don’t work out, the Lakers might have to trade the former MVP to a tanking team like the aforementioned Spurs.
With the NBA only a month away, it will certainly be interesting to see if the Lakers make a move before the start of the season or if they eventually make a change during the trade deadline.
