Lakers Fans Beg LA to Make Russell Westbrook Trade with Pacers After Loss vs. Kings

Los Angeles Lakers fans aren't as willing to be patient with Russell Westbrook as the team apparently is, despite the former NBA MVP putting together a solid performance in Monday's 105-75 preseason loss to the Sacramento Kings.

Westbrook played 15 minutes, the least of any Lakers starter in the game. He scored five points on 2-of-3 shooting, dished out three assists and grabbed two rebounds. The nine-time All-Star was one of three L.A. players with a positive plus-minus (plus-1), along with LeBron James and Anthony Davis (both plus-2).

Lakers fans were more interested in talking about the report from The Athletic's Shams Charania, Sam Amick and Jovan Buha from earlier in the day.

According to the report, several key decision-makers for the Lakers "spent several days" before the start of training camp engaged in trade talks on a deal that would have sent Westbrook and two unprotected first-round draft picks in 2027 and 2029 to the Indiana Pacers for Myles Turner and Buddy Hield.

Even though Monday's game was a preseason outing, Lakers fans didn't take too well to seeing their team lose by 30 points. Some went out of their way to tag the team and members of the front office, including governor Jeanie Buss and general manager Rob Pelinka, to let them know this roster still doesn't look very good.

Other fans weren't tagging the Lakers or people affiliated with the team. They were making it known they are unhappy with the state of things in Los Angeles.

During Lakers media day last week, Pelinka stressed the importance of not rushing into making a trade because they "have one shot to make a trade with multiple picks" involved.

It is telling that Pelinka was willing to strongly consider making the 2027 and 2029 picks unprotected in those talks with the Pacers. Their long-term outlook is pretty bleak at this point.

LeBron James and Anthony Davis are the only star-level players in Los Angeles right now. James is going to turn 38 on Dec. 3. Davis' 30th birthday will happen during the 2022-23 season (March 11) and he's missed 78 games in the past two seasons combined because of injuries.

While it's impossible to predict where things in the NBA will be five years from now, those draft picks could end up being high in the lottery. It's hard to be patient when you're a franchise like the Lakers, but it is their best approach heading into a season with a lot of uncertainty about their upside.