The Washington Wizards were a solid playoff team this season, though they got eliminated in the first round despite the presence of Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook. They are clearly far from being a contender, and perhaps a full-scale rebuild could be in order sooner rather than later.
A recent report has suggested that Bradley Beal could potentially request a trade from the Washington Wizards prior to the NBA Draft. If that were to happen, it is likely that the Washington Wizards would trade Russell Westbrook as well, to gain future assets. They will not be competitive without Bradley Beal’s scoring, and it would be better to try and compete later on in the future.
A potential destination for Russell Westbrook could be the Los Angeles Lakers. There has been prior reporting that has linked the Los Angeles Lakers with Russell Westbrook. NBA reporter Austin Krell has suggested that the Los Angeles Lakers have moved slightly closer to acquiring Russell Westbrook.
Have heard that the Lakers have developed some traction in their pursuit of Russell Westbrook, for what it’s worth. https://t.co/LCDt2Jz9Ew
— Austin Krell (@NBAKrell) July 24, 2021
There is no question that one of the positions of need for the Los Angeles Lakers will be at point guard. Dennis Schroder is a free agent who could potentially leave, and the Lakers will need a replacement. While there’s some concern about the spacing on the roster, Russell Westbrook could help the team even without being a consistent shooter. Having Westbrook on the squad would mean that the Lakers would have another solid scorer and playmaker next to LeBron James, and with Westbrook having less offensive load, he could potentially have a better season in terms of efficiency.
What the Los Angeles Lakers will end up doing with their point guard position is still unknown, but if Russell Westbrook is an option, they should at least kick the tires on a trade. It looks as though a Westbrook move to Los Angeles could happen, and perhaps we’ll see the former MVP team up with LeBron James next season.
