Report: Lakers have held trade discussions centered around Russell Westbrook

By Jason Simpson
Updated: December 14, 2021

Although the Los Angeles Lakers have no shortage of superstar talent, many NBA fans feel that the members of the team’s Big 3 aren’t capable of playing effectively alongside each other on a consistent basis.

The fit of Russell Westbrook is a common criticism, as a lot of folks believe that his playing style doesn’t mix well with those of LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

In an interesting development, it sounds like the Lakers have “held internal discussions” regarding the idea of trading Westbrook.

“The trio of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook simply hasn’t blended as well as Lakers figures hoped, and Los Angeles has held internal discussions on trade scenarios for Russell Westbrook, league sources told B/R,” wrote Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. “But moving Westbrook and the two years, $91 million remaining on his contract does seem unlikely.”

Unloading Westbrook’s contract might be hard, but there are multiple teams out there who could use a guy that’s capable of carrying a big offensive load. Perhaps a team like that would be interested in adding the 33-year-old.

This season, Westbrook is averaging 19.5 points, 7.7 rebounds and 8.4 assists per game. He’s shooting 45.1 percent from the field and 32.4 percent from beyond the arc.

The Lakers do have a winning record at 15-13 this season, but many of the team’s wins have come against lackluster opponents. L.A.’s remaining schedule is pretty tough. No matter what Westbrook’s future holds, the Lakers are likely going to have to play at a high level the rest of the way in order to earn a decent seed in the Western Conference.