"I think they will be trading him within two weeks from the start of the season" - NBA writer claims LA Lakers will trade 9x All-Star early in the 2022-23 season

The LA Lakers have been trying to shop Russell Westbrook, but not to a point where they have been desperate. Until LeBron James signed a two-year extension, they were previously unwilling to attach two future first-round picks

Knowing Westbrook’s trade value may be at an all-time low, the Lakers could wait until next year’s NBA trade deadline to move the nine-time All-Star. Alex Speers of The Athletic, however, predicted that how the Lakers start next season could determine the point guard’s stint in LA.

“If they don’t trade him by opening night, I think they will be trading him within two weeks from the start of the season. Their opening schedule is kind of brutal; at Golden State, Clippers, Portland, at Denver, at Minnesota, Denver, the Pelicans,” Speers said.

“I’m predicting that if they don’t trade him by the opening game, within those first two weeks, by November 1st, there will be a Russell Westbrook trade because that opening schedule is setting them up for another disappointment. If they get up to another disappointing start again, the pressure is going to be insanely high.”

The LA Lakers’ first two weeks are some of the toughest in the NBA next season. They start on the road against the Golden State Warriors on opening night. LA will then have a home opener against the LA Clippers before facing the Portland Trail Blazers.

From there, they take to the road against reigning MVP Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets as well as the revamped Minnesota Timberwolves. The purple and gold franchise gets no respite as they have to tackle the Nuggets again at home.

The LA Lakers were 3-3 before Nov. 1 last season and despite a loss to the OKC Thunder, no one panicked or felt worried. They won’t have that same luxury this season after last season’s epic failure.

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The LA Lakers are stuck on their Big Three

The LA Lakers' Big Three was only 11-10 last season when they played together. [Photo: Silver Screen and Roll]

Heading into the 2021-22 season, there were talks that the star-studded team led by James, AD and Westbrook could match the 73-9 Golden State Warriors. Instead, the heavy favorite to win the NBA title limped to a 33-49 mark, embarrassingly missing the playoffs.

LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook couldn't carry the team. It wasn’t just the record that was humiliating. A few Lakers greats ripped them on social media for the way they lost games.

After winning three straight games in January, the Lakers didn’t win back-to-back games until their last two. They were already eliminated from the play-in race at that time and played opponents that had been eliminated or had already clinched a playoff spot.

“I feel so many people have memory-holed what happened last year with the Lakers," analyst Skip Bayless said. "They wanna believe, ‘Oh, AD’s gonna come back. He’s gonna look great. LeBron’s coming back healthy. Darvin Ham’s talking about all these cool things about Russ could do, theoretically.’

“But just as a reminder, the three-man group of LeBron, Russ and AD last season had a minus-3.5 net rating in around 400 minutes. I lived through it. We lived through it. We saw it. … I don’t know why we’re expecting anything different.”

The Lakers, privately, may already be convinced they can't run back the same Big Three. They just have not been desperate enough to break it until probably the umpcoming season's punishing opening two weeks.