The Los Angeles Lakers have made the trade that fans have been begging them to make for the last year, as Russell Westbrook has finally been moved away from the team.
Westbrook’s tumultuous tenure as a Laker finally ends as he has been moved to the Utah Jazz in a 3-team trade that has helped the Lakers get D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, and Jarred Vanderbilt for the rest of the season.
Westbrook’s dissatisfaction with the team had to have increased after he was openly put up in trade offers for Kyrie Irving, with LeBron James even publicly being upset that the Lakers couldn’t move Russ for Kyrie. Jovan Buha has revealed that Russ was finally traded away after a complete breakdown in his relationship with the franchise.
“The situation had become untenable over the past week or so, multiple team and league sources close to the situation told The Athletic. Both sides were ready to move on from a partnership that never really made sense to begin with. Now, Westbrook can hit the buyout market and play for a team that wants him. Meanwhile, the Lakers can focus on maximizing the fit of their role players around LeBron James and Anthony Davis and move on from one of the worst superstar trades in NBA history.” (h/t The Athletic)
The Lakers have to be overjoyed with the return they’ve gotten for Westbrook, though Westbrook won’t be thrilled at most likely being bought out and having to re-sign with a new team this season on a minimum contract.
Where Will Russell Westbrook End Up?
While Westbrook technically should be wearing a Utah Jazz jersey right now, it doesn’t look like the Jazz have any interest in having him play for the franchise. If he gets bought out, Westbrook will have his pick of teams.
The 3 biggest teams linked to Russ have been the Clippers, Heat, and the Bulls. Any of these teams could make use of Russ but might be cautious in taking a bet on his style, given his form in the last 2 seasons.
The Clippers may be the best fit, but will Westbrook join Paul George and Kawhi Leonard after what they did to him in 2019? We’ll have to wait and see.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
