Russell Westbrook
Russell Westbrook is one of the last players the Los Angeles Lakers should not consider trading for.
By no means does this mean Westbrook is not a good player, however, his skill set would not improve any of the Lakers’ weaknesses.
Westbrook had his best shooting season from three this since his MVP run in the 2016-2017 season. Despite this, he only shot 31.5% from beyond the arc on 4.2 attempts per game.
Westbrook also can be a black hole on the offensive end. He needs the ball in his hands to be a productive player on offense. His usage rating is around 30-35% at this point of his career which is far too high for what he can bring to a team on offense.
The only things he can bring the Lakers are taking some of the playmaking responsibilities off of LeBron’s shoulders along with being a fiery defender.
However, this is not worth giving up pieces along with taking on Westbrook’s massive contract. He still has one year on his contract along with a player option or an additional year. These two seasons would end up costing the Lakers around $91 million.
There is no reason in which a contending team like the Lakers should be paying a 33-year-old point guard of Westbrook’s caliber that much money.
If he is added to the team there will not be enough money left to build a competent roster around the three stars unless there is a massive cap spike or multiple veterans sign with the team for the minimum.
While it would make for an amazing storyline to see LeBron, AD, and Westbrook take on KD, Harden and Kyrie in the NBA Finals, it would be difficult for the Los Angeles Lakers to make it to the Finals with Westbrook on the roster let alone win it all.