The NBA rumor mills suggest Russell Westbrook might just finish this season with the Los Angeles Lakers.
The 34-year-old’s future with the franchise has been one of the most discussed topics since the offseason, and with the trade window opening up, Westbrook has been the cynosure of all eyes.
The guard has been thriving as Los Angeles’ sixth man providing them with the much-needed impetus coming off the bench. He’s been more productive, and his playmaking has looked much more assertive. His improved defense hasn’t gone unnoticed, as he’s played a notable part in the Lakers’ 11-16 run after their woeful 0-5 start to the season.
However, Westbrook’s time in LA still looked uncertain as he was looked at as one of the primary players who would be traded once the December 15 window opened up. According to The Athletic’s Jovan Buha, he was one of the names alongside Kendrick Nunn and Patrick Beverley, who would be finding a new home before the end of the season.
Since then, there has been a slew of updates and speculations surrounding him, and the latest sees him stay put with the Lakers.
Will Russell Westbrook Play For The Los Angeles Lakers For The Rest Of The 2022-23 Season?
For now, the answer to that question might be a yes. In the latest report by The Athletic’s Sam Amick, Westbrook’s embracing of his bench role and his subsequent solid performances may just see the front office repose their faith in him this season.
This comes on the back of the Lakers fans hoping that the explosive point guard would not be traded after his good run this season. At the time of writing, he averages 14.7 points, 5.9 points, and 7.5 assists in the 26 games so far. Earlier, his fit was still a concern, but Amick’s words shed new light on the matter.
In his column, he wrote:
According to a source with knowledge of the Lakers’ plans, Westbrook’s play this past month has made it increasingly unlikely that he will be traded before the league’s Feb. 9 deadline. Since becoming a sixth man on Oct. 28, the 34-year-old, who is in the final year of his (massive) contract, has averaged 15.2 points, 7.9 assists, 5.8 rebounds, 3.8 turnovers and 28.2 minutes.
For the sake of perspective, only six players (Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, Ja Morant, Pascal Siakam, Jrue Holiday and James Harden) have met those 15-7–and-5 marks so far this season. The Lakers have gone 11-12 in that span.
That said, this is the NBA, and with the think-tank keeping an eye on the Chicago Bulls, all it takes is confirmation that the latter is ready to blow it up, and the Lakers will place Westbrook on the trade market to acquire the likes of DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic — names they have been associated with for a while now. But for now, it appears that Russell Westbrook will be a Laker for the foreseeable future.
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