The 2022-23 season is a big one for the Los Angeles Lakers. They are coming into it with a huge chip on their shoulder after how poorly things went last season. Despite having championship aspirations, the purple and gold didn’t even qualify for the NBA Play-In Tournament, going 33-49.
There were a lot of factors that played into the poor performance, but the one player that a majority of the blame was put on was Russell Westbrook. Rob Pelinka traded virtually all of the team’s assets to acquire Westbrook from the Washington Wizards.
It was a huge risk to take as Westbrook’s skill set did not mesh well with the ones of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. However, the Lakers were looking for a third superstar to take some of the pressure off their All-Star duo, but things did not go according to plan.
James and Davis both missed extensive time with injuries. While Westbrook was able to stay healthy and on the court, he was not producing at the same level as in previous seasons. His jump shot remained a mess and he was a sieve defensively.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Russell Westbrook & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
Frank Vogel, the head coach at the time, didn’t seem to have the authority to make changes when it came to Westbrook’s place in the rotation. He did sit him near the end of some games, but Darvin Ham, who took over for Vogel, seemingly has full autonomy and could end up bringing Westbrook off the bench if that is what they see fit.
Keeping him on the roster was surprising enough, so a role adjustment is certainly necessary. It was something he pushed back against earlier in the offseason, but after having discussions with Ham, it sounded more open to adjusting his role if it was for the betterment of the team.
While not much stock is normally put into preseason games as coaches are mixing and matching lineup combinations and guys are resting, they were important games for the Lakers. With a new head coach in place, this was the time to set the tone heading into the regular season as players were looking to earn spots in the rotation.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Russell Westbrook & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
Los Angeles went 1-5, including two blowouts at the hands of the Sacramento Kings. If there was one thing to take away from those games, it is that they cannot be any worse if they were to just remove Westbrook from the lineup.
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN has reported that the Lakers are going to open up trade talks centered around Westbrook and make some calls in the near future and those talks cannot come soon enough. This could be an addition-by-subtraction move for the Lakers.
At one point in their game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Patrick Beverley was huddling his teammates up before a free throw. He gestured to Westbrook multiple times to come to join and Davis eventually went over and talked to Westbrook as well.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Russell Westbrook & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
The most that the former MVP offered was a half-hearted high-five to Beverley. For a team with so much to prove after last season, that kind of attitude isn’t going to cut it. Yes, it is a preseason game, but that is where habits are built. Accountability from the top down is of the utmost importance and Beverley is going to do his best to make sure there is some.
The Lakers have been hesitant to trade away first-round picks in the 2027 and 2029 NBA Draft, but it is something they should seriously consider. As long as James and Davis are on the roster and healthy, Los Angeles can compete. Their odds will only increase if they can bring in more players that have skill sets that better fit around them.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Russell Westbrook & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
Buddy Hield and Myles Turner of the Indiana Pacers are two players that have been mentioned and would be excellent pickups. Josh Richardson and Doug McDermott of the San Antonio Spurs have skill sets that would mesh with James and Davis well.
Both of those teams are dead set on acquiring multiple first-round picks, but as the season gets underway, maybe their asking prices will change. The chances of a deal getting done could also increase as Westbrook will be owed less and less money the longer he remains on the Lakers’ roster.
Alas, there is one thing that is for sure. Westbrook has got to go and the Lakers’ front office needs to do whatever it takes to get a deal done. The window is closing to compete for a title with James on the roster and Pelinka has to do everything within his power to maximize their chances of winning.
