3. Fit Concerns With Los Angeles Lakers

While there is undoubtedly a lot of things that can be pointed out about how Russell Westbrook has been underwhelming during his first season with the Los Angeles Lakers, there’s another side of the situation.

When Westbrook was at his best recently, he was in a highly spaced offense as a member of the Houston Rockets that even had PJ Tucker playing center at one point. He had a completely opposite situation with the Lakers to begin the season with Anthony Davis playing the four next to a non-shooting big.

Where the case starts to unravel for Westbrook is his continued struggles even with LeBron James playing small-ball center. The tendency to settle for low percentage pull-ups, in general, has been a problem regardless of the lineup.

If Westbrook were to reach a buyout with the Lakers in the offseason and play a season in a more spaced-out situation, it could do wonders to boost his value once again. One situation that comes to mind is perhaps the Chicago Bulls with Nikola Vucevic’s catch-and-shoot ability.

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A lot needs to be sorted out before a clearer look at buyout destinations can be had, but regardless, the formula of playing next to a shooting threat at the center position is a must.