Getty DeMar DeRozan going for layup during All-Star Game.
After a nightmare 0-5 start to the season, the Los Angeles Lakers are finally building some momentum with back-to-back wins over the Denver Nuggets and New Orleans Hornets. A big reason for the turnaround has been the decision to have Russell Westbrook come off the bench. The move has been talked about since the early part of last season but new head coach Darvin Ham finally made the decision.
Westbrook has looked great off the bench but it’s fair to question how sustainable the situation is. He’s a former MVP and didn’t even play in overtime against the Pelicans. He’s being a good soldier now but how long will be before he’s fed up with not playing late in games? It’s certainly something the Lakers need to keep a close eye on. If it works in the short term, that will be great news for Los Angeles.
As the season goes on, the likelihood of the team finding an appealing trade only increases. According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, the Lakers are certainly trying to exercise patience until an ideal scenario can present itself.
“What the Lakers want to happen is new people enter into the conversation, whether that be the Charlotte Hornets with guys like Terry Rozier or Kelly Oubre, or perhaps the Chicago Bulls,” McMenamin said on “That’s OD.” “Maybe DeMar DeRozan gets his wish and ends up on the L.A. Lakers a year and a half afterward because the Bulls recognize that they are not going to get anything this season because of injuries. That’s the ideal scenario, plus having Russell Westbrook be a productive member of the team in the interim.”
Would Bulls Really Trade DeRozan?
The Bulls started off last season looking like title contenders but injuries derailed their season. So far, that’s been the case again this year. Lonzo Ball has yet to play this season while Zach LaVine and Coby White have already missed games. If injuries continue to be a problem, the Bulls could consider being sellers at the deadline.
LaVine isn’t going anywhere but perhaps they could entertain trading DeRozan. He hasn’t been shy about how he previously wanted to play for the Lakers. He even said he would’ve taken a discount to go to Los Angeles. He’s 33 right now and under contract through next season. If they traded for Westbrook, he’d be off the books once the season ends. The Bulls would certainly get some draft picks out of it. It’s an unlikely scenario but could be a situation to watch if Chicago falls apart.
Could Lakers Consider Keeping Westbrook?
Having Westbrook come off the bench has been a successful experiment so far but it might not be sustainable. He’s already been a volatile player and could start to push for a bigger role again. That wouldn’t be good news for the Lakers as he’s clearly better off the bench with this current roster.
Now, if he continues to play well off the bench and enters the discussion for Sixth Man of the Year, the Lakers may decide to let him stick around for the rest of the year so they save their assets. There likely isn’t a trade out there that makes the team title favorites so they might be better off just keeping Westbrook if he continues to be a good sport.