“Bring Westbrook back and pretend this is going to work because of some friendly quotes?” - NBA analyst says it’s a horrible assumption that a new coach will figure Russell Westbrook out
Russell Westbrook and the LA Lakers are hoping to get back on track this season. One of the most notable developments in the Lakers' 33-49 implosion was the rapid decline in Westbrook's play last season. That raised questions about how he or the coaching staff can fix what wasn't a good fit or if the franchise will eventually move on from him.
There's still a chance the team could package him and his $47 million salary in a trade. It's clear the Lakers need to upgrade their roster, but, according to reports, the team could be willing to give the experiment another try.
Ryen Russillo said he doesn't think it's good to pretend there will be progress just because of some positive quotes from the coaching staff and front office. On "The Ryen Russillo Podcast," The Ringer's analyst said:
"If you're gonna say, 'Well, we don't want to do those picks for those players because of what the value is and say OK,' but that's not the full conversation. The other part of the conversation is, what are the other options? Bring Westbrook back and pretend this is going to work because of some friendly quotes from the front office and coaching staff?
"That doesn't seem like a very good bet. So, can you really waste another one of LeBron's years here on top of that with Anthony Davis? I don't know if you can just go into this year being like, 'Hey, (new coach) Darvin Ham will figure it out. Darvin Ham will get Westbrook to unlock these things that other people have always want to see from him, that we haven't seen in over 10 years of him being in the NBA.' I think it's a horrible, horrible assumption to make that a coach is going to just figure it out."
After being acquired via trade during last year's offseason, the hope was that Westbrook could be the final piece of the puzzle. With LeBron James and Anthony Davis in place, it looked as if the veteran point guard would be just what the team needed. But the experiment failed.
Uncertain future for Russell Westbrook and the LA Lakers
The Lakers are still being aggressive in trying to upgrade their roster. The elephant in the room is Westbrook, whose play declined rapidly last season.
Although Westbrook has been a sensational player throughout his career, his fit with the Lakers didn't work. Their lack of future assets, as well as current desired players, has made the Lakers struggle to find traction on any potential trades.
Sources: The Lakers, Knicks and Jazz discussed a three-team trade with Donovan Mitchell landing in New York, Patrick Beverley and another key Jazz player to the Lakers, Russell Westbrook on the move, and draft picks to Utah. More details on @hoopshype. hoopshype.com/lists/nba-rumo…
If the Lakers want to trade Westbrook, chances are that they will have to include some sort of future draft selections to entice another team.