Getty Lakers guard Russell Westbrook
According to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, the Los Angeles Lakers and Russell Westbrook have mutual interest in parting ways this offseason.
However, since Westbrook struggled this season, the Lakers may have a difficult time trading the one-time MVP, who is set to make $47,063,478 next season if he picks up his 2022-23 player option.
Three-time champion B.J. Armstrong, who won three rings with Michael Jordan on the Chicago Bulls and is currently an agent, believes any player can be traded in today’s NBA, including Westbrook, who has played for four teams in the last four years.
“Well what I’ve learned over the years, everyone is movable,” Armstrong told Rich Eisen on the Rich Eisen Show. “He (Westbrook) is movable. Now, what are they going to get back in return that’s going to fit their timeline and what they feel is a realistic goal of what they can do or can’t do? He is movable. He can be moved. Believe it or not, there will be, I think there will be multiple teams that would be willing to move him.”
Westbrook appeared in 78 games for the Lakers this season. The nine-time All-Star 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. Westbrook was second in the NBA in turnovers and sounded like a guy who doesn’t want to be back with the Lakers next season during his exit interview.
Westbrook Bashed Lakers During Exit Interview
Westbrook, who was born and raised in California, went off on the Lakers organization during his exit interview. The future Hall of Famer said the franchise didn’t give him “a fair chance just to be who I needed to be to help this team.”
“When I first got here, unfortunately, people create narratives of who I am and what I do and what I believe in that just aren’t true,” Westbrook said. “I’m always having to prove myself again year after year after year, which to me is really unfair. There’s no reason for me to have to do that. So when I first got in here, I just felt that I never was given a fair chance just to be who I needed to be to help this team.”
Westbrook, the NBA’s all-time leader in triple-doubles, also blamed false news reports as a contributing factor to his struggles with the Lakers.
“The famous ‘source’ stories that came out about myself, whether it be between me and the staff, me and Frank, me and the fans, there’s just so many made-up stories that are not true,” Westbrook said. “It’s just always having to fight against that constantly. It’s just not [being] given a fair chance. It’s like, ‘OK, now I got to fight against this made-up story. Now I got to fight against this one. Now I go to fight against this one. Now I got to fight against this one.’”
According to Marc Stein of Substack, the Charlotte Hornets have been mentioned by league insiders as a franchise that could be interested in trading for Westbrook. Armstrong, whose most famous client is New York Knicks star Derrick Rose, thinks the Lakers need to trade Westbrook for players who complement LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Armstrong: Lakers Must Acquire Right Pieces in Westbrook Trade
Armstrong believes the Lakers can trade Westbrook. However, he urged the franchise to get the right pieces around James and Davis.
“As you’re looking at LeBron James right now, where he’s at, and you’re looking at Anthony Davis, where he’s at, can you build a team around them to complement what they do well so that they can be the best version of themselves? I think you can move Russell Westbrook,” Armstrong told Eisen. “But can you get back the pieces to construct a team that’s going to allow them — if they come to the conclusion that this is a championship-caliber team — and those are the realistic conversations that they have to have right now.”
James turns 38 next season and becomes an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2023 if he doesn’t sign an extension with the Lakers this offseason. Meanwhile, Davis will turn 30 next season and the Chicago native hasn’t been able to stay healthy the last two years, playing in only 76 games.