“Russell Westbrook is not a buyout guy; Russ is Russ because of his swagger” - Ramona Shelburne contends that former MVP will outrightly refuse a buyout as he will see it as a demotion of his superstar status
The LA Lakers have so far failed to trade Russell Westbrook despite reportedly looking for ways to move him since the February trade deadline. Most analysts believe that the hold-up has been due to the Lakers’ unwillingness to include two future first-round picks in any deal.
Ramona Shelburne, on "The Lowe Post Podcast," contended that the situation could also be complicated by Westbrook’s refusal to be bought out. It is assumed that any team willing to absorb his massive $47 million contract for his level of play would push for a buyout.
Here’s the ESPN analyst on an often overlooked portion of any Westbrook trade:
“Russell Westbrook is not a buyout guy. You have to agree to a buyout and that’s not how he is wired. This is a guy who is very proud and if you accept a buyout once in your career, you’re seen differently throughout the rest of your career.
“There’s a sort of demotion to that in your status.”
Shelburne went on to say:
“Russ is Russ because of his swagger and the way he bleeds with it, the way he plays with it. You can’t retreat from that. You can’t let go of that because that’s what made Russ, Russ - it’s his swagger. If he accepts that, then he’s no longer Russell Westbrook.”
Russell Westbrook reportedly may not be accepting of a contract buyout if it comes to that this summer.
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Teams who could swing a deal for Russell Westbrook such as the Utah Jazz, Indiana Pacers, and San Antonio Spurs aren’t contending for anything. They will almost certainly be unwilling to pay Westbrook’s salary while losing.
It’s presumed that their interest in Russ stems from the attached draft capital and his expiring contract, which can be bought out by agreement.
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Report: Indiana Pacers, San Antonio Spurs and Utah Jazz are viewed as ‘obvious’ landing spots for Russell Westbrook lakersdaily.com/report-indiana…
Zach Lowe, the host of the podcast, added that the Lakers and Westbrook are stuck with each other until probably next year’s trade deadline. By then, more than half of the $47 million would have been paid and more teams could be interested in dealing with the Lakers.
Darvin Ham could still maximize Russell Westbrook using a new scheme
Many find it difficult to believe that Darvin Ham will demote Russell Westbrook to the bench right off the bat. He is expected to give Russ time to prove that he can bounce back from a terrible season as part of the starting lineup.
Zach Lowe suggested that Westbrook could be removed after the first four minutes and re-inserted before a quarter ends. During those first four minutes, he’ll be a role player, doing all the off-ball stuff that Ham asks of him.
Darvin Ham on his buy-in from Russell Westbrook: “Everything has been clear and up front between him and I. He’s been a pleasure. … He’s been that since Day 1. … The communication has been great both ways. … I can wait to succeed with him.”
When he gets back into the game, he will be playing with the bench mob and will likely be allowed to be himself. The scheme will give Westbrook the starter status he craves and play as he has always played.
Darvin Ham believes defense is the key to Russell Westbrook and Patrick Beverley being able to play together.
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If for some reason Darvin Ham plays by Zach Lowe’s strategy, it still has to be tested, assuming Russell Westbrook even accepts it. Trading him now might be out of the question, so the Lakers and Westbrook will have to decide how to make the partnership work.