The more discussions about Russell Westbrook go on, the more questions arise about how exactly he can land in a situation that would be ideal for him. It doesn’t seem like the Los Angeles Lakers, and Russ are in a great place or that they will be anytime soon, and even if it’s not immediate, reports suggest that the two will part ways at some point.
Russ was the ultimate one-team player for a large part of his career, the last of Oklahoma City’s 3 MVP draft picks to stay with the team. However, following Kevin Durant’s departure, Russ failed to find much success in the playoffs, and since he left the team in 2019, he has bounced around the league, playing for 3 different franchises in 3 years.
As his Lakers stint appears to be over and the prospect of joining his 4th team in as many years draws closer, it’s hard to say where exactly Russ might end up. And none of his former teammates are lining up to play with him again, something NBA insider Tim MacMohan addressed on ‘The Hoop Collective’ podcast.
“Unfortunately for Russ, there’s a lot of burned bridges,” MacMahon said. “There’s not connections: Like, obviously the KD (Kevin Durant) thing went down in flames. The partnership with (James) Harden: Lik,e they might still be buddies, but as far as being teammates, that was a one-year thing, and both of them couldn’t wait to get the hell out of there.
“You think (Chicago Bulls coach) Billy Donovan’s hoping to sign up again for more Russ? I mean come on.”
Many believe that Westbrook can still get back to his best, even Shaq posted a story about it. However, it’s easier said than done to achieve an extremely high level of play again. It’s difficult to say with certainty which team Russell Westbrook will play basketball for next, but he certainly has all the tools to become one of the best again.
