Lakers Must See How Roster Works with Russell Westbrook Despite Trade Rumors

Much of the buzz surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason has involved much-maligned point guard Russell Westbrook. Last year's prized offseason acquisition disappointed in his first year with the franchise, and L.A. stumbled to a 33-win campaign.

Since then, it's been a will-they-or-won't-they waiting game with the Lakers and a possible Westbrook trade.

Early in the offseason, L.A. explored a trade that involved Westbrook and Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving. That deal never materialized, though, and with Irving and Kevin Durant both appearing willing to stay in Brooklyn, it probably won't happen at all.

"Irving was only available post opt-in because of Durant’s subsequent trade request, but Durant softening his stance and staying in Brooklyn puts the Nets firmly in win-now mode," The Athletic's Jovan Buha wrote in August.

Of course, Irving wasn't the only potential trade target for Los Angeles, and the Lakers' chances to trade Westbrook didn't end with Brooklyn.

According to Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic, the Lakers recently discussed a deal for Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner and guard Buddy Hield, The sticking point—as Charania noted on an appearance with Bally Sports' The Rally—is that L.A. didn't want to part with future unprotected first-round picks as part of the deal:

Los Angeles' stance regarding its future draft selections could change at any time, however. General manager Rob Pelinka mentioned at the Lakers' media day that future draft capital would be available for the right deal.

With or without Westbrook, L.A. is committed to building around LeBron James.

"We will do everything we can, picks included, to make deals that give us a chance to help LeBron get to the end," Pelinka told reporters. "He committed to our organization. That's gotta be a bilateral commitment, and it's there."

So, fans hoping to see Westbrook out of L.A. may ultimately get their wish. The Lakers are still exploring trade options, and the front office hasn't put the kibosh on moving future draft capital. Here's the thing, though: L.A. is going to wait for the right deal to materialize.

That might not happen until we're closer to the trade deadline in February. In the interim, the Lakers owe it to themselves to see how the current roster performs under new head coach Darvin Ham.

The Big Three of James, Westbrook and Anthony Davis failed under Frank Vogel. However, injuries played a large role in the team's downfall. James, Westbrook and Davis only played 21 games together, and while L.A.'s 11-10 record in those games wasn't spectacular, it was above the season standard.

Westbrook also clashed with Vogel about his role on the team—something the player openly admitted after the season.

"I think it's unfortunate, to be honest, because I've never had an issue with any of my coaches before," Westbrook told reporters in April. "I'm not sure what his issue was with me or I'm not sure why, but I can't really give you an answer to why we really never connected."

Things could be vastly different under Ham. As a first-time coach, Ham may be more open to building a system around his players rather than forcing them into predefined roles. Ham is also a former player who should command the respect of the locker room, and he may have an easier time getting Westbrook to buy into his vision.

According to Ham, he's already gotten a commitment from Westbrook to focus on playing defense this coming season.

"He’s told me personally he’s going to commit to that side of the ball," Ham said, per NBA.com's Mark Medina.

To his credit, Westbrook does appear to be focused on playing for L.A. this season, despite the trade rumors.

"Whether they want me here or not, it doesn’t really matter,” Westbrook said, per Medina. “My job is to be a professional and show up to work as I’ve always done."

The supporting cast still isn't ideal—though bringing back Dennis Schroder and adding the likes of Juan Toscano-Anderson and Troy Brown Jr. could help—but if Ham can forge some chemistry with his core group, the Westbrook experiment could still work.

In theory, having a third star will give James and Davis more opportunities to rest while providing L.A. with more lineup options. That was largely the plan last season, though injuries quickly ended it.

And, despite all of the trade rumors, the Lakers do still view Westbrook as a quality player.

"From what I understand now, they still see Russell Westbrook as a starter," ESPN's Ramona Shelburne said Sept. 19 on NBA Today (h/t Ashish Mathur of Heavy.com).

As long as L.A. views Westbrook as a starting-caliber player, it shouldn't rush to unload his contract—especially not if it means parting with future draft capital. For now, the Lakers should see what they have in their current roster and give it some time to jell under Ham's guidance.

The preseason kicks off next week, and the Lakers open with the Golden State Warriors on Oct. 15. If it's all still a disaster after the opening month, L.A. can revisit the trade market.

The Lakers couldn't make things work with Westbrook last season, but there's a very real chance that this year's version of the nine-time All-Star will be a different player. Considering that L.A.'s options are limited and moving the 33-year-old would be costly, the Lakers would be wise to at least see what version of Westbrook they can get.