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Russell Westbrook's trade to the LA Lakers was considered to be one of the biggest offseason moves by any team in the NBA. It was expected to help them win the championship, but roadblocks kept coming up and the Purple and Gold eventually failed to even make the play-in tournament.
The trio of Westbrook, Anthony Davis and LeBron James had immense potential, but they never really got to share much time on the court. However, in the limited time they did share the court, things still didn't seem to click for them.
Knowing that Russell Westbrook was failing to deliver big performances, James and Davis did their best to let Russ play his normal game and get back to form, but the former MVP felt otherwise. When asked about the same in his exit interview, he said:
"Yeah, but that wasn't true, let's be honest."
Russell Westbrook, Anthony Davis and LeBron James share a combined 35 All-Star appearances and have accomplished a lot, which is why when the Big 3 were put together, the Lakers were picked as favorites to win the championship.
However, injuries proved to be a major setback for them. Westbrook was the only consistent member on the floor and this somewhere cost them a lot of games as the former MVP was not at his best all season.
Experts and former players stated that the team was not well constructed and that was one of the biggest reasons for their failure. When asked what are the factors that go in for three high-quality players like the Big 3 of the Lakers to work as a team, Russell Westbrook replied by saying:
"I mean it's a combination of what we are on the floor, positioning, fit and challenge, trial and error, being able to play on the floor with each other and finding ways to be able to utlisise us to the best of our abilities and it's just that simple."
Westbrook, AD and James played only 21 games together, and the Purple and Gold had an 11-10 record in those games. The trio reiterated how much of a difference playing together would have made in their exit interviews, but it looks like that will remain as merely a possible scenario as Westbrook's time with the Lakers looks to be nearing its end with rumors linking him to other teams.
Which team should Russell Westbrook move to if he decides to seek a trade away from the LA Lakers?
Westbrook was slandered in the media throughout the 2021-22 season for his performances. He underperformed as per expectations but the disrespect he was shown definitely caused damage to his morale.
Reports have already linked him to other teams across the league, but nothing has been confirmed as of now. However, the team that has popped up the most in that discussion is the Charlotte Hornets. The Eastern Conference team finished tenth on the table and will have to fight their way through a lot of competition to make it to the playoffs.
They have a talented roster with youngsters like LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges who have blossomed into stars this season. Adding Westbrook to the roster would not only give them a superstar presence but would also help the team gain some recognition in the league. However, that could come at the cost of taking the limelight and the ball away from the 2021 Rookie of the Year LaMelo Ball.
The 20-year-old is a player with immense potential and works at his best with the ball. With Russell Westbrook coming in, things could change for him and the Hornets would not want to happen as he is the future of the franchise and Westbrook is probably a veteran who has only a few years left in him.
The 33-year-old still undoubtedly has a lot of teams who are in pursuit of him and it would be interesting to see where he ends up. Westbrook can still dunk the ball as viciously as he could previously do and there is no doubting the work he puts in. Whichever team recruits him, will be at an advantage because the former MVP has a lot to prove when he takes to the court next season and this would, in turn, help them in bagging wins and moving ahead strongly.
