Russell Westbrook III is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association. He is a member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. He earned the NBA Most Valuable Player Award for the 2016–17 season. The nine-time All-Star could reportedly receive the John Wall treatment if he’s not traded
On Thursday, August 25, the Lakers acquired veteran defensive pest, Patrick Beverley, leading to speculation about the status of beleaguered nine-time All-Star Russell Westbrook moving forward.
It’s no secret that the Lakers have been looking at trades involving Westbrook for quite some time, with multiple reports saying that potential deals have been squashed due to the Lakers’ unwillingness to include one or both of their available future first-round picks. With Irving off the table, it seemed plausible that the team would enter training camp with Westbrook as their starting point guard.
Westbrook could either be traded or simply sent away from the team. Beverley’s arrival makes it more likely that Westbrook will be off the active roster by the start of training camp, either through a trade or the team sending him home.
The fact that the Lakers would be willing to pay Westbrook $47 million to sit at home speaks to the deteriorated relationship between the two parties. Trade is the preferred option, but that would almost certainly require the Lakers to surrender at least one of their future picks, especially since Talen Horton-Tucker, one of their only young assets, went to the Utah Jazz in the Beverley trade.
So far the Lakers haven’t been willing to compromise their future to get Westbrook off the roster, and now it seems they might be content with eating his salary to keep him away from the team.
There’s always the possibility that this report is posturing from the Lakers to make it appear they’re not as desperate to unload Westbrook as it seems. Only time will tell, but it’s looking increasingly realistic that Westbrook won’t suit up for the Lakers to start the season.
Source: Ghanafuo.com
