At some point the Lakers will turn things around this NBA season right?
Well, Los Angeles is now 67 games into the season and they are just 29-38, only 1.5 games up on the Pelicans for the 9-seed in the Western Conference.
The Lakers are most definitely going to be putting their season on the line in the play-in tournament in a year that they were picked by many to win the championship.
Between injuries over the course of the season to both LeBron James and Anthony Davis, plus the fact that they have virtually no reliable depth on their roster, the Lakers have been doomed for failure ever since they took a major financial risk in the offseason by trading for Russell Westbrook and the $91 million that was remaining on his contract.
LATEST NBA NEWS AND RUMORS: Is It Time For Russell Westbrook To Sit Out Rest Of Lakers’ Season?
Not only did they get rid of Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, three reliable second-unit talents, but the Lakers ruined their chances to go out and sign another high-level player at the expense of Russell Westbrook, who was never going to fit in next to James and Davis.
Maybe they can get out of the play-in tournament this season, but it is a heavy long-shot to think that LeBron James can single-handedly carry the Lakers past the Suns, Warriors or Grizzlies in the first-round of the playoffs.
GM Rob Pelinka and the Lakers’ front-office are going to be doing everything they can to move Russell Westbrook in the offseason and with his contract being as big as it is, they are going to have a tough time finding any team interested in the nine-time All-Star.
The idea of trading him to Houston for former All-Star John Wall, again, has been floated numerous times, as has the idea of the Knicks potentially being interested in Westbrook.
LATEST NBA NEWS AND RUMORS: Is It Time For Russell Westbrook To Sit Out Rest Of Lakers’ Season?
How he would fit in Tom Thibodeau’s defensive-styled approach would be a big question mark, but the New York Knicks desperately need a point guard and they could be interested in getting out of long-term contracts for one year of Russell Westbrook.
Could we see the Knicks-Lakers trade this offseason involving Russell Westbrook? Let’s take a look at a proposal put together by Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey that makes this possible.
