Should Lakers Keep Russell Westbrook Amid Rumors of PG’s Plan to Opt into Contract?
When the Los Angeles Lakers traded for Russell Westbrook last August, they had championship aspirations. How could they not? They were adding a former NBA MVP at point guard to join a core that already featured LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
The Lakers seemed set up for success. And then, they didn't even make the playoffs, going 33-49 and finishing in 11th in the Western Conference.
That leaves Los Angeles with decisions to make. The franchise recently hired Darvin Ham to be its new head coach, and there are sure to be roster moves to follow throughout the summer.
Given the current state of their roster, the Lakers need to add players. But that's not to say they won't be open to moving ones who are already under contract. That brings us back to Westbrook.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the 33-year-old is expected to opt into the final year of his contract, which is a player option worth about $47 million. It shouldn't come as a surprise, considering that would be a lot of money to turn down to become a free agent.
Once that happens, trade rumors involving Westbrook may continue. He wasn't at his best during the 2021-22 season, when he averaged 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists in 78 games. It was the first time he failed to average more than 20 points per game since 2009-10, his second NBA season.
Despite that, it doesn't seem Los Angeles is outwardly seeking a split, according to a recent report from NBA reporter Marc Stein.
"The Lakers continue to signal—at least for now with three months to go until training camp opens—that they do not want to force a Russell Westbrook trade that costs them additional assets," he wrote.
So, there appears to be a fairly strong chance the nine-time All-Star will be back for a second season for the Purple and Gold. Would that be the right move?
There are four months until the start of the 2022-23 season, so it's a bit early for predictions. But don't be surprised if Westbrook performs better than he did during his first year in L.A.
Westbrook should be motivated after his down season, and he had still been playing at a high level in years prior. Wojnarowski also reported that the player has "really expressed tremendous enthusiasm" for the hire of Ham, who will be an NBA head coach for the first time.
Count on the second season of the Westbrook/James/Davis trio to go better than the first. And by April, it will be clear the Lakers made the right decision in giving the veteran another opportunity.
