Lakers Rumors: Russell Westbrook to Come off Bench in Final Preseason Game vs. Kings

The potential first step toward having Russell Westbrook anchor the Los Angeles Lakers' second unit will begin on Friday night.

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Dave McMenamin, Westbrook will come off the bench for the Lakers' preseason finale against the Sacramento Kings.

There has been speculation that head coach Darvin Ham could look to use Westbrook as a sixth man this season.

In September, The Athletic's Jovan Buha and Sam Amick reported the prospect of Westbrook coming off the bench was "being strongly considered" in the wake of the Lakers bringing in Patrick Beverley and Dennis Schröder.

"As with most lineup constructions ahead of training camp and the season, it remains a very fluid situation," Buha and Amick wrote. "But sources say first-year head coach Darvin Ham, with the full backing of the organization, is ready and willing to make whatever difficult rotation decisions might lie ahead in the interest of team success."

Westbrook did laugh off a reporter in June when he was asked about the possibility of being used off the bench this season.

As previous head coach Frank Vogel tried to find answers for the team last season, Westbrook cheekily blamed a back injury on "not accustomed to sitting down for long stretches" when he wasn't being used during crunch time in some games.

After spending much of the offseason exploring trade offers for Westbrook, the Lakers seem poised to at least start the 2022-23 season with the nine-time All-Star on their roster. He could potentially get moved at some point, but there's no indication anything is imminent.

Westbrook has started each of the past 1,004 games he has played dating back to his rookie season in 2008-09. He began his career coming off the bench for the Oklahoma City Thunder before being moved into the starting lineup on Nov. 29, 2008.

The Lakers are looking to find a roster combination that allows them to compete for a playoff spot. They finished 11th in the Western Conference last season with a 33-49 record.

Westbrook's first season with Los Angeles was a disappointment. His average of 18.5 points per game was his lowest since 2009-10.

The Lakers will open the 2022-23 regular season on Oct. 18 against the reigning NBA champion Golden State Warriors at Chase Center.