The Los Angeles Lakers had high hopes for the 2021-22 NBA season when they created their own Big 3, adding Russell Westbrook to LeBron James and Anthony Davis. It was a high-risk move, as the Lakers sacrificed a lot of depth to get it done, but it could come with plenty of rewards as well.
While things have looked better recently, those three are not meshing as well as the team had hoped they would. While Westbrook shoulders a lot of the criticism, one could argue that it should actually be Davis receiving the brunt of that.
Anthony Davis is in the midst of one of the worst jump-shooting seasons the NBA has ever seen. He has looked uninterested at times and isn’t bringing the same intensity that we know he is capable of bringing. Yet, he sometimes gets a pass and Westbrook absorbs it all.
Westbrook is having a pretty solid season overall after the very slow start. He is averaging 19.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 1.2 steals in 36 minutes per game. Most impressive is that he is one of only two Lakers, along with Malik Monk, to not miss a game this season.
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Russell Westbrook can still produce at a good level, but the long-term outlook for the Lakers is shaky at best. Any team with LeBron James on it cannot be taken lightly, but this does not look like a championship-contending roster as currently constructed.
Without many assets, could the Lakers look to hit the reset button and move on from Westbrook? It won’t be easy, but they have had some discussions about possibly trading the veteran point guard.
NBA Analysis Network’s own Evan Massey has confirmed that, but taken it a step further, saying two teams have had preliminary discussions with the Lakers. But, he also noted that there have been no serious talks as of yet.
There are very few teams in the league that have the salary to match Westbrook’s. The Houston Rockets, Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers could make it work with John Wall, Ben Simmons and Kevin Love, but it would be a surprise for any of those three to have even preliminary discussions with the Lakers.
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This will be something to keep an eye on, as Rob Pelinka could be looking to revamp the Los Angeles Lakers’ depth in a deal centered around Russell Westbrook. But, with $91 million owed to him through next season, finding a take will be easier said than done.
