“The KD thing went down in flames… You think Billy Donovan’s hoping to sign up again for more Russ?” - NBA analyst believes Russell Westbrook has burned a lot of bridges
After a lackluster season with the LA Lakers last year, Russell Westbrook continues to trend in the wrong direction. Due to his massive contract, there has been little to no trade market for the 2016-17 MVP. On top of that, Westbrook also parted ways with his longtime agent.
With Westbrook potentially being on the move again, a discussion broke out on "The Hoop Collective" podcast on where he could end up. When mentioning any possible connections he has in the league, ESPN's Tim MacMahon said the point guard has burned multiple bridges in his career.
"Unfortunately for Russ, there's a lot of burned bridges," MacMahon said. "There's not connections: Like, obviously the KD (Kevin Durant) thing went down in flames. The partnership with (James) Harden: Lik,e they might still be buddies, but as far as being teammates, that was a one-year thing, and both of them couldn't wait to get the hell out of there.
"You think (Chicago Bulls coach) Billy Donovan's hoping to sign up again for more Russ? I mean come on."
Since leaving the OKC Thunder, Westbrook has yet to find a consistent home, playing for three teams in the past three seasons. If the Lakers find someone to take him in a deal, it will be the fourth time he's been traded since 2018. That would constitute a rather ugly fall from grace for the NBA's all-time leader in triple-doubles.
Dave McMenamin:
“It’s pretty darn clear that LeBron James has seen enough and he has no interest in going another year with Russell Westbrook as his teammate.”
(via @ZachLowe_NBA, espn.com/radio/play/_/i…) https://t.co/PUVF7E9N56
Will any market for Russell Westbrook surface in the near future?
It's clear the Lakers are fighting an uphill battle in regards to a Russell Westbrook trade. Even with him fresh off posting averages of 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists, nobody is willing to roll the dice on him.
I'm gonna predict that when the dust has settled, Russell Westbrook is going to wind up back on the Wizards after a buyout, where he can post his meaningless triple-doubles in peace.
LA refuses to admit it, but they cannot get a deal done without adding picks or young players to Westbrook. Between his awkward fit, age (34 in November) and sizeable contract, he is no longer a positive asset. After sacrificing multiple depth pieces to acquire him last offseason, the Lakers should be expecting about half the value in return this time around.
Part of why Westbrook has had such a hard time is his inability to adapt his game over time. At this stage of his career, he is no longer the hyperatheltic point guard who can punish teams above the rim. Instead of trying to re-shape himself, Westbrook continues to rely on the things that have gotten him this far.
Right now, it's fair to assume the Lakers might be stuck running it back with Westbrook whether they like it or not.