Since the end of last year’s nightmarish season, Lakers fans have been practically begging the franchise to move on from former NBA MVP Russell Westbrook.
This season, with Russ still on the team, the movement to trade him has only grown stronger, even as he builds a case for Sixth Man of the Year honors.
Yet, even with all the pressure to trade Russ, the Lakers continue to hold onto him — and there may be a very specific reason why.
Speaking on the ‘Please Don’t Aggregate This‘ podcast, NBA Insider Anthony Irwin suggested L.A.’s motives for keeping Westbrook go beyond what he can provide on the court.
“They [Lakers] like the idea of having three stars. Even if Russ isn’t playing like a superstar anymore, he’s selling jerseys like a superstar does. And if they do move Russ’s contract, I do think they would be focusing on somebody of that kind of stature coming back.”
The Lakers are a business, after all, and a very successful one at that. With a net worth of roughly $5.9 billion, they are one of the richest teams in the world and one of the most lucrative organizations in the NBA.
Having a star of Westbrook’s caliber, even if he’s not playing well, means a lot of money for the Purple and Gold that they wouldn’t see with an average role-player.
But is the extra pocket change really worth keeping Westbrook around if he’s not a good fit?
Westbrook In Trade Talks As Deadline Day Approaches
Despite Westbrook’s star status, it seems someone on the Lakers has considered moving on. Over the past few weeks, rumors have indicated the Lakers are in talks for a trade involving Russ, although nothing is imminent at this time.
“Russ has played well for them, and they’re looking for a way to make a deal without giving up picks, which is going to involve taking on a longer contract, like a Tim Hardaway Jr. from Dallas or someone like that. They have talked about Evan Fournier and Derrick Rose, too, which might be as good a deal as they’re going to get.” (h/t Heavy)
The Lakers need to decide soon what they will do with Russ. His contract expires this summer, so the team will have to trade him now if they want to avoid the risk of losing him for nothing.
We will find out soon enough how this all plays out in L.A., but the future of the organization fringes on No. 0 and what he decides to do with the rest of his NBA career.
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