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Kendrick Perkins: Russell Westbrook Won't Talk to Me After Lakers Trade Take
May 5, 2022
It seems Russell Westbrook isn't happy with former teammate and current NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins for comments he made earlier this year during an appearance on ESPN's First Take.
While speaking with Andrew Marchand John Ourand on The Marchand and Ourand Sports Media Podcast, Perkins said Westbrook and his wife, Nina Earl, aren't talking to him because they're upset about him suggesting the Los Angeles Lakers should trade him this offseason.
Andrew Marchand @AndrewMarchandCLIP: Russell Westbrook is currently not talking to Kendrick Perkins after Westbrook and his wife were upset about Perkins saying the Lakers should trade Westbrook.<br><br>POD: <a href="https://t.co/BDNWt33mWg">https://t.co/BDNWt33mWg</a> <a href="https://t.co/eVY133NfD3">pic.twitter.com/eVY133NfD3</a>
This isn't the first time a current player has criticized Perkins recently. Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant, who was also teammates with Perkins at one point during his career, cussed out Perkins after the team's first-round loss to the Boston Celtics before eventually agreeing with him.
That said, many have suggested the Lakers trade Westbrook this offseason. However, Perkins' comments probably hurt Westbrook a little more than the others because the two were teammates on the Oklahoma City Thunder from 2010-15.
Perkins is also probably right in saying the Lakers won't trade LeBron James or Anthony Davis. Both were much better than Westbrook during the 2021-22 season and gelled even before the point guard arrived.
Westbrook had an awful season in L.A. after being acquired from the Washington Wizards. He averaged 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists while shooting 44.4 percent from the floor and 29.8 percent from deep.
The Lakers hoped Westbrook would mesh with James and Davis to get the team back to the NBA Finals, but they didn't even come close to contending. The team finished 11th in the Western Conference with a 33-49 record, its worst finish since the 2018-19 season when they finished with a 37-45 record.
Trading Westbrook is easier said than done. The 33-year-old will make more than $47 million next season before becoming an unrestricted free agent, and his contract is undesirable. That said, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times reported last month that the Indiana Pacers and Charlotte Hornets could be interested in acquiring the veteran.