In the aftermath of yet another failed superstar pursuit, the Los Angeles Lakers are feeling more pressure than ever to make a trade and make things right with their franchise cornerstone, LeBron James.
A few days ago, James hinted at his desire to reconnect with his former teammate and we know that fans have been begging Rob Pelinka and Jeanie Buss for months to bring LeBron and Anthony Davis. some help.
Unfortunately, the only path to make a needle-moving trade would have to involve Russell Westbrook. While some fans have no problem parting with Westbrook to save the season, others aren’t so quick to draw the same conclusion.
On ESPN’s First Take this week, Stephen A. Smith took an interesting stance on the situation in Los Angeles. According to Smith, the Lakers should keep Russell Westbrook and ride out their roster through the rest of the season.
“I’m not moving Russell Westbrook,” said Stephen A. “What I’ve seen from Westbrook on the court, coming off the bench for the Los Angeles Lakers, cheering on his teammate when they do good things on the basketball court? I see a brother who always plays, always plays 100%, never cheats the game and oh, by the way, he’s playing well! I got a $47 million dude coming off the bench, that’s true, but if he’s coming off my cap at the end of the season why am I giving him away to eat up space that would prevent me from getting Kyrie Irving? I’m gonna roll with what I got.”
The @Lakers should not move Russell Westbrook. pic.twitter.com/zPtcmstGb6
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) February 7, 2023
Westbrook has not been a fan favorite in Los Angeles, but it’s hard to deny that he’s played a role in keeping the Lakers’ season, and their playoff hopes, alive.
Is This Westbrook’s Last Season As A Laker?
The Westbrook experiment has been an underwhelming disaster for the Lakers so far, but it doesn’t mean it’s going to end anytime soon. According to the latest reports out of Los Angeles, there’s a real chance they ride it out and wait for his contract to expire in the summer.
Regardless of what happens between now and Thursday’s deadline, Westbrook is going to be key to understanding what direction the Lakers are moving in this final era with LeBron.
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