Russell Westbrook Trade Rumors Not Shaking Lakers Approach To Offseason

Russell Westbrook did not represent himself very well this season. The Los Angeles Lakers were an abject failure. LeBron James even blamed Russ for some of the team’s shortcomings.

After the season, the team parted ways with head coach Frank Vogel. Rumors started to swirl that Los Angeles would be willing to pay dearly to get rid of Russell Westbrook. A recent report indicates that may not be the case.

Jovan Buha of The Athletic wrote that the Lakers are not interested in sweetening the pot for a Westbrook trade with a first-round draft pick. The team may even believe that with the right coaching staff in place, he can be a key contributor once again. The addition of a better supporting cast might be the icing on the cake to get Russell Westbrook back on track.

“As of now, they have no intention of using a first-round pick to facilitate a Westbrook trade, according to league sources.

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And it’s not merely a bluff or tactic to try to regain leverage in trade talks. That may be an ancillary motive, sure, but per league sources, there is a sentiment among some within the franchise that the right coach and a better supporting cast could smooth over Westbrook’s awkward fit with James and Davis.”

Lakers fans were almost universally hoping to hear that the team was going to trade Westbrook. Unfortunately, his value is at an all-time low due to his poor performance this year. Time will tell if he is ever able to salvage meaningful minutes with the team again, but the Lakers seem intent on trying to make it work.

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