Russell Westbrook had a tough 2021-22 NBA season for the Los Angeles Lakers. Despite decent volume numbers of 18.5 points, 7.1 assists, and 7.4 rebounds per game, Westbrook’s efficiency struggled as the Lakers had trouble converting his stats to wins.
Per basketball reference, Westbrook posted negative Offensive Win Shares on the season for the first time since his rookie year. Despite positive Defensive Win Shares, Westbrook’s overall Win Shares of 1.7 were a career-low for the former All-Star.
Win Shares are an imperfect stat, but essentially they aim to represent the number of wins added to a team by a player on the season. So, you may be wondering: why would the Mavericks consider adding a player worth only 1.7 wins?
Well, realistically, a gamble on Westbrook only works if he turns out to be worth much more than that – like he used to be.
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As tough as last season was for Russell Westbrook, he was once an MVP of the league. In his career, Westbrook has shown spectacular passing vision, aggressive rebounding, hounding defense, and occasional spurts of high-percentage shooting.
It’s possible there’s a version of Westbrook that can play as well as he once did in a more limited role. With Luka Doncic leading the league in usage last season, Dallas isn’t exactly looking for a lead ball-handler. If Westbrook were to come off the bench for Dallas, running a high pace bench unit that looks to turn teams over and run them in transition, he may be able to shine once again.
There’s also a compelling, non-basketball reason to take a swing on Westbrook for Dallas: The Mavericks may have limited money to spend deepening their bench.
Jalen Brunson, who’s shined as both a starter and sixth man for Dallas, will be a free agent this offseason. Brunson should be due a hefty contract, whether it’s from Dallas or not. Westbrook, should he be bought out, presents a more affordable, though riskier, option.
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This hypothetical situation is of course dependent on whether the Lakers buy out Westbrook (or he declines his player option). Westbrook is due upwards of $45 million next season, so a trade for the guard on his current contract would not be advisable (or likely even possible).
If bought out, the market for Russell Westbrook would likely be extremely limited after his difficult year in LA. He would certainly wind up as a cheap addition – but could provide MVP-level play.
Westbrook’s fit in Los Angeles was undeniably poor. Any team looking to acquire Westbrook will need to surround him with shooting talent. Dallas has the talent, as they’re currently showing in their postseason series with the Utah Jazz.
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Westbrook could bring his explosive drive-and-kick game to Dallas, to pair with the shooting. Westbrook would be a punch of athleticism to juxtapose with Luka’s methodical offense, keeping defenses on edge.
It would require a buy-out – that’s for sure. But don’t count out teams looking at Russell Westbrook as a potential bench option, even after the down year. If the fit was the issue in LA, Westbrook could be one of next season’s big surprises.