The Los Angeles Lakers are going to find a way to move on from Russell Westbrook this offseason. It shouldn’t be a question of if for the franchise but rather how to move on from a player who pushed the team in the wrong direction.
From his press conferences to his playstyle, Westbrook’s time in Los Angeles is going to be looked at as a failure. Whether it was the system, the pressure, or simply age catching up with him, Westbrook regressed and wasn’t the same player.
Now the Lakers must find a way to part ways with Westbrook this offseason and acquire younger players capable of playing defense and helping LeBron instead of forcing him to attempt to put the team on his back every night.
Trading Russell Westbrook is going to be even harder for the Los Angeles Lakers with a lack of draft capital or young assets.
Finding a trade partner for Westbrook is going to require the Lakers to take on other bad contracts or multiple players on bad deals. With this in mind, let’s take a look at the three best fits for the Lakers and Westbrook.