Following an underwhelming 2021-22 NBA season, it has been very clear that the Los Angeles Lakers are looking to trade Russell Westbrook before the new season begins. They have been trying to offload Russ throughout the offseason, but are yet to find a suitable trade for Brodie.
With the arrival of Patrick Beverley in Los Angeles, the doubts about Westbrook’s future with the Lakers have only caught more fire. In fact, many believe that the Lakers will find a way to trade the former MVP to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Buddy Hield and Myles Turner.
If this trade indeed goes down, there is a very high possibility that Westbrook will get brought out by the Pacers. The aftermath of that decision could be that Westbrook might not find a very lucrative contract from any team in the league. NBA analyst Bill Simmons has taken this possibility to the next level.
Simmons believes that if Russ gets bought out by the Pacers, his career may be over and he will be out of the league.
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“If that trade did happen, I think he’s out of the league. He’s the rare kind of guy where if you’re a tanking team or a lottery team, why would you bring him in? All he’s gonna do is try to play 40 minutes a game and put up stats and try to make you more competitive. If you’re a playoff team … He’s not gonna want to come off the bench, he doesn’t play defense, he’s not really a good shooter.
The best possible scenario for him are these 7, 8, 9 seeds where he plays 40 minutes a game. None of these teams want him. If that Indiana trade happens and he’s bought out, that might be it for him.”
If this is how Russ’ career goes down, it will truly be a sad end to his time in the NBA. After all, just a few years ago, he was one of the most enjoyable players to watch in the NBA.
Amidst these rumors about Brodie, Lakers’ new head coach Darvin Ham is reportedly still looking to find a real role for Westbrook on the team. The future of Russell Westbrook with the Lakers and in the NBA is one of the biggest topics of discussion for fans and experts alike. We should get an answer to it before the new season begins.
