Lakers’ Russell Westbrook Urged to Become ‘Supercharged Version’ of $13 Million Guard

Getty Lakers guard Russell Westbrook

Los Angeles Lakers point guard Russell Westbrook has been urged to become a “supercharged version” of a $13 million guard who plays for the Denver Nuggets.

In a June 19 column, Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey wrote that Westbrook should embrace a “rim-running role” with the Lakers, which is what Bruce Brown did with the Brooklyn Nets. Brown played the previous two seasons with the Nets before signing a two-year, $13.3 million deal with the Nuggets this summer.

“The situations are far from perfectly analogous, but Bruce Brown spent the first two seasons of his career with the Detroit Pistons as a guard before embracing a rim-running role with the Brooklyn Nets. Westbrook can be a supercharged version of that (assuming a willingness to work on his touch in the paint). He did it to a degree with Houston, but he still started plenty of possessions as the point man,” Bailey wrote. “It’s time to lean even harder into being a cutter, dunker’s spot option and corner three-point shooter.”

Westbrook appeared in 78 games for the Lakers last season. The nine-time All-Star and one-time MVP averaged 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists while shooting 44.4% from the field, 29.8% from beyond the arc and 66.7% from the free-throw line.

A future Hall of Famer, Westbrook finished second in the NBA in turnovers and posted an effective field goal percentage of 47.6%, which was sixth-worst in the league. The Lakers went 31-47 in his 78 appearances and didn’t qualify for the play-in tournament.

Bailey: Westbrook Has to Change His Game

Bailey believes the Lakers’ best bet is to boost Westbrook’s trade value on the court and move him at the 2023 trade deadline. The Bleacher Report insider thinks Westbrook needs to change his offensive game and become a more stout defender.

“Believe it or not, Russ hit 43.4 percent of his threes from the corners over the last two seasons (36.8 percent over the last six seasons). When LeBron, AD (or both) are operating in the middle of the floor, he has to be willing and able to create space from the corner,” Bailey wrote. “If that becomes a bigger part of his offensive diet, and he maintains his numbers from the last two seasons, defenses will be forced to pay closer attention.

“More importantly than any of that, though, is what Westbrook has to do on defense. Few players of his experience and pedigree are as prone to complete mental lapses on that end. If his man doesn’t have the ball and isn’t directly in front of him, there’s no telling what Westbrook will do (or won’t do).”

The Lakers have tried to trade Westbrook multiple times this offseason. However, since the UCLA product played poorly last season and will make $47.1 million in 2022-23, teams are asking Los Angeles to give up multiple future draft picks and the purple and gold are hesitant to mortgage their future just to trade Westbrook.

LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Westbrook Recently Talked

The Lakers are trying to acquire Nets star Kyrie Irving, who won the 2016 championship with LeBron James on the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, talks between Los Angeles and Brooklyn haven’t progressed any closer to an agreement, according to a July 16 report from ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.

On July 18, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported that Westbrook, James and Anthony Davis spoke on the phone, with each All-Star expressing their commitment to one another. James and Westbrook didn’t sit next to each other or say hello during the Lakers’ Summer League game on July 8.

“The Los Angeles Lakers’ Big 3 of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook huddled up on a phone conversation the first weekend of NBA Summer League in Las Vegas with each expressing their commitment to one another and vowing to make it work, league sources told Yahoo Sports,” Haynes reported. “While the uncertainty of Westbrook’s future with the Lakers remains, the conversation was organized to make sure all three were on the same page as long as they’re joined together in their pursuit of a championship, sources said.”

Westbrook and his longtime agent, Thad Foucher of Wasserman, parted ways on July 15. According to a July 15 report from Dan Woike and Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times, Westbrook, 33, has never requested to be traded by the Lakers.