The Los Angeles Lakers made a blockbuster trade in the summer when they brought in Russell Westbrook. The idea was to form a big three of All-Stars with Westbrook, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis. The move came out of nowhere, as the Lakers had been linked with the Kings’ sharpshooter Buddy Hield in the weeks before.
And it appears that there was a lot of truth to those rumors. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka was ready to pull the trigger on the move to bring Buddy Hield to the Lakers. But the Lakers’ superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis convinced Pelinka to bring in Russell Westbrook instead.
“Rob Pelinka wanted to and planned to trade for Buddy Hield but James & Davis encouraged him to go after Westbrook.”
The move has not particularly worked out for the Lakers. Westbrook’s fit with the Lakers is questionable at best. And Westbrook hasn’t seemed to gel with the rest of the Lakers’ roster and their style of play. If there is one saving grace for the Lakers, it’s the fact that their big three have not played together all that much.
Anthony Davis has been out with an injury for quite some time. He just recently made his return to the team this week, and the Lakers picked up the win in a way that made fans really happy. Westbrook himself spoke highly of Davis’ return and what he brings to the table for them going forward.
There have been suggestions that Westbrook could be on the trading block, with the Rockets emerging as a landing spot. But Stein, in the same report, said that the Lakers aren’t willing to pay a premium for him, and one anonymous source even ruled out any trade for Westbrook, saying that he is the only option for them.
