Getty Russell Westbrook
The Los Angeles Lakers traded Russell Westbrook on February 8, sending the one-time MVP to the Utah Jazz. The purple and gold acquired D’Angelo Russell from the Minnesota Timberwolves and Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt from the Jazz in the blockbuster three-team trade.
According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, the Lakers traded Westbrook to remove the vampire from the locker room.
“This was the time to do it,” McMenamin said on ESPN’s NBA Today. “Russell Westbrook was not gonna be part of the team after this summer when his contract expired. And also when his contract came off the books, the Lakers would have less money to deal with in the free agency period this summer. So you had to do it if you wanted to get those pieces you could have part of the team moving forward. You get younger, you got shooting, you got switchable defenders, and as one source told me, you remove a vampire from the locker room. That meaning a vampire sucks the blood out of the locker room. Russell Westbrook moves on.”
“As one source told me, ‘You remove a vampire from the locker room.’ That meaning a vampire sucks the blood out of the locker room and Russell Westbrook moves on.”
@mcten on the Lakers trading Russ 🧛♂️
Westbrook is averaging 15.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 7.5 assists this season while shooting 41.7% from the floor, 29.6% from beyond the arc and 65.5% from the free-throw line. The nine-time All-Star is fourth in the NBA in turnovers and has the fourth-worst effective field goal percentage and the third-worst true shooting percentage.
A two-time scoring champion and the NBA’s all-time leader in triple-doubles, Westbrook averaged 17.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and 7.2 assists in 130 games with the Lakers. Los Angeles missed the playoffs last season and is only 25-30 in 2022-23.
Russell Westbrook Had to Go
The Lakers had to trade Westbrook, especially after what happened on February 7. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported that Westbrook and Lakers head coach Darvin Ham had a “heated verbal exchange” in the locker room during halftime of the Oklahoma City Thunder game.
“Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook and coach Darvin Ham had a brief, heated verbal exchange in the locker room during halftime of Tuesday night’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, sources told ESPN,” Wojnarowski wrote. “Ham expressed frustration with how Westbrook lingered on the playing floor after getting subbed out of the game late in the second quarter. Voices were raised in the locker room, but discussion turned back to trying to win the game against the Thunder, sources said.”
Jovan Buha of The Athletic also reported that the Westbrook situation “had become untenable over the past week or so.”
Where Will Russell Westbrook Go Next?
The Los Angeles Clippers and Chicago Bulls are interested in signing Westbrook once the UCLA product secures a buyout agreement with the Jazz, according to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report. Westbrook played with Clippers All-Star Paul George on the Oklahoma City Thunder and Bulls head coach Billy Donovan coached the future Hall of Famer in OKC.
Westbrook has played for the Thunder, Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards and Lakers. He has career averages of 22.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 8.4 assists. Westbrook is the second player to get traded four times after being an MVP, joining Bob McAdoo.