NBA Trade Rumors: 3 reasons why LA Lakers shouldn't pursue Russell Westbrook

Russell Westbrook in action against the Lakers.
Russell Westbrook in action against the Lakers.

The LA Lakers and Washington Wizards have been the subject of recent NBA trade rumors concerning Russell Westbrook.

Marc J Spears of The Undefeated has reported that the LA Lakers have a potential trade offer to acquire Westbrook from the Wizards. Aside from eyeing Chris Paul to man their starting point guard position, another option is purportedly to get the nine-time All-Star.

“According to sources, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers have been on the hunt for a veteran point guard, and Paul is on the list. There have also been talks about Washington Wizards star Russell Westbrook being a potential candidate to move back home to Los Angeles in a sign-and-trade deal that could include free agent point guard Dennis Schroder, forward Kyle Kuzma and guard Talen Horton-Tucker, sources said,” Spears wrote.

NBA Trade Rumors: Russell Westbrook to the LA Lakers looks good on paper

Adding Russell Westbrook to a team that already has LeBron James and Anthony Davis would turn the LA Lakers into another superteam with super high expectations. If you’re playing NBA 2K21, this is the kind of trade you’ll do. But in the real world, this concoction is likely going to end up in disaster.

Here are three reasons why the LA Lakers should avoid trading for the 2017 MVP Russell Westbrook:


#1 Russell Westbrook is too ball-dominant

Indiana Pacers vs Washington Wizards - Play-in Tournament
Indiana Pacers vs Washington Wizards - Play-in Tournament

Russell Westbrook works well when he has the ball and calling the shots most of the time. He averaged a triple-double during the 2020-21 season, registering 22.2 points, 11.5 rebounds and 11.7 assists per game.

Though his usage rate of 30.2% was his lowest in 11 years, it’s hard to imagine Westbrook and James (31.9% usage rate) co-existing. The last time Russ shared the court with another ball-dominant player was in Houston with James Harden. Their 2019-20 season ended in a loss to the LA Lakers in the playoffs, and they both left the Rockets soon thereafter.

For years, many have \called for James to let go of the reins and let another player call the shots in offense. The King is already 36, and he still doesn’t feel comfortable without the ball in his hands most of the time.

Westbrook is an excellent distributor, but James may not yet be ready to consistently wait for the ball before taking a shot.

#2 Russell Westbrook lacks a three-point shot

Russell Westbrook (#4)
Russell Westbrook (#4)

The LA Lakers need three-point shooting. They were near the bottom of the league in three-pointers made (25th) this season and were among the bottom dwellers in three-point shooting percentage (21st) as well.

Adding a player who handles the ball as much as Russell Westbrook does, doesn’t address their need for three-point shooting and is only going to exacerbate their problems.

A career 30.5% three-point shooter, Russell Westbrook will only clog the lanes and frustrate James and Davis when they work on the low blocks.

The LA Lakers forwards will command double teams from opponents, and they have to find shooters who can knock down threes regularly to free them up to do their work in the paint.

Russell Westbrook will only contribute to the LA Lakers’ three-point shooting woes and render their two best players largely ineffective.


#3 The LA Lakers have salary cap issues

LeBron James (#23) scores on a lay-up in front of Devin Booker (#1) and Jae Crowder (#99).
LeBron James (#23) scores on a lay-up in front of Devin Booker (#1) and Jae Crowder (#99).

Looking at Russell Westbrook’s salary for the next two seasons, it’s ridiculous to think the LA Lakers will absorb another franchise player salary on top of LeBron James’ and Anthony Davis’.

Westbrook signed a five-year, $206.7 million contract with the OKC Thunder in 2018, and he is due $44.2 million next season and $47.1 million in two years.

James and Davis are set to make $41.2 million and $35.4 million next season, respectively. LA Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka already has his hands full trying to form a championship team with the limited space available in the $112 million salary cap for next season. Adding Westbrook to the mix will severely inhibit his spending power.

Furthermore, the rumored sign-and-trade involving Schroder and Horton-Tucker along with Kuzma for Russell Westbrook will hard cap the LA Lakers. They can exceed the cap to re-sign their own free agents. But a sign-and-trade will trigger a hard cap (projected to be at $143 million next season), which would make it nearly impossible to keep their roster intact.

How many championship-caliber role players do you think the LA Lakers can sign with the veteran’s minimum if they lose their own free agents to other teams?

Russell Westbrook may be a nice name to throw around in fictitious trades that have nothing to do with fits and finances. But the reality is that he doesn’t make the LA Lakers championship contenders. Instead, he will diminish their chances of winning the 2022 title.

Also Read: NBA Rumors: 3 boldpPredictions for Dallas Mavericks 2021 NBA off-season.

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Edited by Bhargav