The Los Angeles Lakers are off to a very rough start so far this season. They currently sit with a record of 10-11. This is good enough to place them at 9th in the Western Conference. For a championship-contending team like the Lakers, this is unacceptable and it is clear that some changes need to be made in the near future before it is too late.
There can not be too many years left in which LeBron James will still be a top player in the league and as a result of this, every season becomes more and more dire for the Lakers to put together a championship run.
Up to this point in the season, Russell Westbrook has been a huge red flag for a player that could stand in the way of the Lakers once again becoming NBA champions. Although there is still quite some time for Westbrook to figure things out in Los Angeles before the trade deadline if things do not improve relatively soon, it may be time to determine his value on the trade market and attempt to move him from the team.
Up to this point in the season, Westbrook is averaging 20.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, 8.7 assists, and 4.8 turnovers per game while shooting 43.8% from the field and 31.2% from three. Along with this, Westbrook currently has a negative offensive and defensive box plus-minus.
Despite Westbrook not being too far off of averaging a triple-double, these are very concerning statistics, and as of the past couple of years, Westbrook’s level of play takes an enormous dip once the playoffs roll around.
With the Lakers having to compete with so many talented teams in the league this year, they cannot afford to carry around dead weight in the playoffs.
It may be time for the Los Angeles Lakers to begin looking for potential trades for Russell Westbrook.
Let’s dive into the three packages.