It is pretty clear to everyone that is plugged into the NBA that the Los Angeles Lakers are trying to trade Russell Westbrook before the 2022-23 season begins. That has been the narrative all season and it has only heated up in the last week.
First, trading for Patrick Beverley — someone who does not have a favorable past with Westbrook — seemingly indicated that the team was preparing to move on. Then, Marc Stein reported that Utah Jazz President Danny Ainge covets the Lakers’ two future first-round picks, making the Lakers a candidate to be the third team in a potential Donovan Mitchell deal.
While it seems like a Westbrook trade is inevitable, if there is one thing we know about the NBA it is that nothing is guaranteed. A month ago a Kevin Durant trade seemed inevitable and Durant worked out his problems with the Brooklyn Nets. Los Angeles obviously wants to move Russ but simply might not be able to or might not want to pay the high price.
That being said, Jeanie Buss may have foreshadowed that the Lakers will trade Russell Westbrook no matter what this offseason, which is music to every fan’s ears. Buss sat down for an interview with GQ and never once mentioned Westbrook, even when she was previewing the upcoming season.
When asked about the upcoming season, Buss provided the following response:
"“We changed coaches, so that’s a new voice. And we are continuing to, hopefully, stay injury-free. We want to see Anthony Davis stay on the floor and be healthy the whole season. And when you have Anthony and LeBron, there’s a lot of great things that can happen. But you have to have a supporting cast of players that can fill roles and also stay injury free. We have Kendrick Nunn coming back after missing last season, and a lot of young players that…I can name names, but until we see how they play there really isn’t…we have to give Darvin Ham all of the time and resources he needs to put the team together to see how they move forward.”"
Jeanie Buss excluding Russell Westbrook when talking about the Lakers is painfully obvious.
It isn’t like Russell Westbrook is some fringe role player that the Lakers have this upcoming season. He is actively the biggest storyline surrounding the team right now and to not mention his name at all… it is interesting.
Darvin Ham has not shied away from talking about Westbrook, oftentimes praising the former MVP more than he deserves. That doesn’t mean that Westbrook is staying but Ham is giving him respect and giving a proper media answer.
Buss didn’t give a wrong answer about Westbrook but the fact that she did not give one at all should be telling for Lakers fans. She easily could have been cordial and mentioned Westbrook’s name alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. But she didn’t. He is a very obvious exclusion.
At this rate, it seems like Westbrook’s time with the Lakers is definitively done, even if the Lakers cannot trade him this offseason. Even if he is on the roster at the start of the season it would not be totally shocking if the Lakers pulled a John Wall and told him to go home.
A disaster trade with the Knicks and Jazz the Lakers must avoid at all costs
The Los Angeles Lakers should be cautious in the Russell Westbrook trades they want to make, as one potential option is an absolute disaster.
If that happened, the Lakers would be hoping that the trade market evolves enough by the deadline in order to move him, perhaps for a Buddy Hield/Myles Turner package if that is not available this offseason.