Report: Lakers have ‘more boundaries than advertised’ regarding possible Russell Westbrook trades

By Orel Dizon
Updated: April 17, 2022

After a disappointing season that saw the team fail to reach the playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers could look to revamp their roster this coming offseason.

One of the possibilities for the team is to offload Russell Westbrook via trade. However, that might be easier said than done, as the Lakers apparently have certain hesitations regarding possible deals.

“Yet it has since been conveyed to me that the Lakers have more boundaries than advertised when it comes to weighing Westbrook trades,” wrote NBA insider Marc Stein. “One league source said that injury histories would be a prime consideration in any deal, given how injuries have so routinely intruded upon the last two seasons for both 37-year-old LeBron James and 29-year-old Anthony Davis.”

When the Lakers acquired the enigmatic point guard last year, they were likely hoping that he could provide the team with some great playmaking abilities to complement James. After all, Westbrook averaged a career-high 11.7 assists per game to go along with 22.2 points and 11.5 rebounds per contest as a member of the Washington Wizards in the 2020-21 campaign.

However, the former MVP managed to average just 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists per match this season. While those are solid numbers for some players, they are well below Westbrook’s standards. More importantly, he failed to build good chemistry with his teammates.

His performances this season have led some scouts and executives to think that he is no longer a useful player in the league. Maybe a change of scenery is what Westbrook needs in order to revive his career.

On a brighter note, the nine-time All-Star proved that he is still a pretty durable player. In the 2021-22 campaign, he played in 78 games.

Only time will tell whether or not L.A. can eventually find a suitable trade partner for Westbrook.