Dallas Mavericks Receive: G Russell Westbrook, 2027 First-Round Pick (LAL), 2029 First-Round Pick (Swap – LAL) 

Los Angeles Lakers Receive: G/F Tim Hardaway J., F/C Christian Wood, F Reggie Bullock  

No man is an island! With that said, some men would like to be. 

We’re talking about tremendous individual talents who may not play well with others. Think back to grade school. Did you ever have a partner in a group project that just obviously wanted to do all the work on their own? 

Russell Westbrook is that student. He seems to thrive when a team is his, and only his. A few years ago, he was averaging a triple-double and almost single-handedly dragging his Oklahoma City Thunder to the playoffs. 

Unfortunately, that model could never win a championship. Meanwhile, if you put Westbrook alongside other star players, he seems to struggle.

LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Tim Hardaway Jr, Dallas Mavericks & Los Angeles Lakers Updates

Without the ball, he doesn’t add much value – and other star players need the ball, too. 

Why would the Mavericks take on such a player?