An unnamed NBA executive is stating that the Los Angeles Lakers are clearly trying to trade away guard Russell Westbrook before Thursday’s trade deadline.
Heavy.com looked at how the Lakers’ trading efforts appear to involve Westbrook since he simply seems to be a bad fit for the team.
“It’s obvious they’re trying to move Westbrook, which is damn near impossible,” a league exec told Heavy.com. “They know that roster’s just not working.”
When the Lakers made the deal to acquire Westbrook last year, the move was seen as a key piece in helping the team’s efforts to win another NBA title. That mindset was because of his ability to collect triple-doubles on virtually a nightly basis.
However, Westbrook hasn’t been able to establish any solid chemistry in a Lakers uniform, with the team also dealing with injury issues.
The end result is that the Lakers have compiled a mediocre 26-28 record and are currently battling just to reach the playoffs.
One of the key reasons why other teams have been reluctant to pursue any deal for the 33-year-old Westbrook is his huge salary. He’s making $44.2 million this year and has a player option for $47.1 million for next season.
Considering the season that Westbrook has had, it appears fairly certain that he’ll pick up his option for next season. That’s because that lack of trade interest makes it apparent that other teams won’t consider paying him anything close to that amount next year.
In the Lakers’ 122-115 overtime win over the New York Knicks on Saturday night, Westbrook was on the bench during the entire extra session. That decision figures to make it that much harder for any potential deal to be made in the days ahead.
While the Lakers came away with the victory, they face another stiff challenge in their next contest. On Tuesday night, they host the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks.
