It is no secret that the Russell Westbrook trade has not been working out for the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers are barely a .500 basketball team and most of the problems that this team has stems from the fact that they traded for Westbrook.
Nearly every Laker fan is on the same page that this is an awful trade for the Lakers. However, I am going a step further. Because of the nature of this trade and just how big it is, it is already safe to say that this is the worst trade in Lakers history.
Am I worried about this coming back to bite me if the Lakers figure it out and win with Westbrook? No. That won’t happen. Let’s break down the reasoning.
1. The players that the Los Angeles Lakers traded are all doing great!
Russell Westbrook continues his regression as a former superstar that still thinks he is a superstar while all of the players that the Los Angeles Lakers traded are having great years.
Overall, Kyle Kuzma has been more of the same for the Washington Wizards but he has played really well over the last few weeks and he may have turned a corner. As frustrating as he was on the Lakers, the team could really use his presence on the wing this season.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is doing more of the same but that would still be great for the Lakers. He is a reliable perimeter defender who shot over 40% from beyond the arc for the Lakers last season. He has continued to fit in that player mold, which is a mold that the Lakers desperately lack.
Finally, Montrezl Harrell is having a career year with the Wizards. His fit with the Lakers would have still been a bit wonky, but with the team committing to a small-ball lineup this season, they easily could have played Harrell in this rotation.
He definitely would have been better than DeAndre Jordan and Dwight Howard.