Russell Westbrook had a rough year with the Los Angeles Lakers last season, and a lot of the issue spilled over to this season. Westbrook has struggled with his shooting thus far this season, putting up averages of 10.3 PPG, 6.7 RPG, and 4.3 APG, while shooting 28.9% from the field and 8.3% from beyond the arc.
There is no doubt that the Los Angeles Lakers have been a poor fit for Russell Westbrook, and as such, it seems as though the point guard wants to get moved from the team. Stephen A. Smith has recently claimed that Russell Westbrook “wants to be gone”, but added that the team can’t “let him go for nothing”.
"He knows they want him gone. From what I'm hearing, he practically wants to be gone, but they can't just let him go for nothing."
Stephen A. Smith on the Russell Westbrook-Lakers situation.https://t.co/253GC285Ia
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 26, 2022
“He knows they want him gone. From what I’m hearing, he practically wants to be gone, but they can’t just let him go for nothing. You gotta find a way to get something in return, whatever asset he brings to the table.”
There is no doubt that a trade would benefit both Russell Westbrook and the Los Angeles Lakers. Russell Westbrook would get a fresh start elsewhere, while the Los Angeles Lakers would get some solid supplementary players in return. The most frequently mentioned trade scenario features the Los Angeles Lakers moving Russell Westbrook and two of their tradeable first-round picks to the Indiana Pacers for Myles Turner and Buddy Hield.
The Los Angeles Lakers Are In No Rush To Trade Russell Westbrook
Despite the clamoring from fans and analysts, the Los Angeles Lakers are in no rush to make a move involving Russell Westbrook. In fact, it was previously reported that the Los Angeles Lakers are willing to wait for 20-25 games before making a decision about any trades.
For now, the Lakers appear determined to give the current roster a proper sample size of 20-to-25 games and assess their needs. Lakers vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka is tasked with balancing the team’s current state versus the future when using the only two first-round picks eligible to be traded for the remainder of this decade. And for the Lakers, the proper deal will take patience, strategy, internal resolve and growth.
We will see if this “wait-and-see” approach pays off for the Los Angeles Lakers. They have had a rough start to the season thus far, but if Russell Westbrook manages to figure out his fit with the team, they could become better as the season progresses.
Hopefully, we see Russell Westbrook improve over the course of the year, whether it is with the Los Angeles Lakers or otherwise. He won’t shoot poorly forever, and perhaps he’ll manage to shut the haters up in the future.
