Brooklyn Nets Receive: G Russell Westbrook, 2027 First-Round Pick (LAL)
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: G Kyrie Irving
When a team has as disappointing a year as the Lakers just wrapped up, it’s typically unfair to pin the blame on a single player. With that said, if you had to point to one Laker as the reason they fell short, it would have to be Russell Westbrook.
The problem with Westbrook in LA was twofold. Firstly, his inability to space the floor made him a poor fit alongside LeBron James. Westbrook, more than almost anyone in the league, needs the ball to be effective.
That leads us to the second problem. Whenever Westbrook had the ball, James didn’t. Given Westbrook’s tendency toward poor decision-making, any possession that was run by him was effectively wasted.
Realistically, we’re not selling this trade from the Nets’ perspective. We understand.
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With that said, recent reports have suggested that, given his uncertain commitment to the sport, the organization is hesitant to offer Irving a long-term contract. Is Westbrook better than nothing?