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NBA insider reveals a new hurdle for Lakers to trade Russell Westbrook

Jerry Trotta|
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE - DECEMBER 29: Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook #0 look on during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum on December 29, 2021 in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE - DECEMBER 29: Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook #0 look on during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum on December 29, 2021 in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)

The Los Angeles Lakers trading Russell Westbrook once felt inevitable. With the new season on the horizon, trade buzz has gone dormant and it seems written in the stars that the polarizing point guard will stay with the purple and gold.

The Lakers’ best bet might be to keep Westbrook until the trade deadline and hope a new collection of buyers emerge and Westbrook improves his stock to the point where teams are actually willing to give something up for him.

That won’t happen if Westbrook refuses to take a backseat on offense. It’s always been a challenge for the former MVP to pass up and open shot and no player in the league was left as open as Westbrook last season.

That alone is a major red flag for teams, but Westbrook’s lackluster effort on defense won’t exactly have teams lining up with offers, either.

Asking Westbrook to reinvent his game at age 33 is risky business, but the Lakers may have bigger things to worry about amid their efforts to trade him.

The Lakers now face another hurdle to offload Russell Westbrook.

A buyout might be the Lakers’ only means to jettison Westbrook, but any fans clinging to the idea might be having false hope. Appearing on Zach Lowe’s podcast, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne revealed Westbrook likely wouldn’t accept a buyout offer from the Lakers.

"“‘Russell Westbrook is not a buyout guy,” Shelburne said. “You have to agree to a buyout, and that’s not how he is wired. This is a guy who is very proud, and if you accept a buyout once in your career, you’re seen differently throughout the rest of your career.’“‘Russ is Russ because of his swagger and the way he bleeds with it, the way he plays with it. You can’t retreat from that. You can’t let go of that because that’s what made Russ, Russ — it’s his swagger. If he accepts that, then he’s no longer Russell Westbrook.”"

Well, that’s not what any Lakers fans wanted to hear.

In fairness, Shelburne makes some salient points. We all know Westbrook is wired different relative to most NBA players. He wears his emotion on his sleeve and thinks he’s the best player in the world when he takes the floor. That confidence helped mold his Hall of Fame career. If push comes to shove, he might have too much pride to agree to a buyout.

We do, however, push back against the point that Westbrook would be viewed differently for the remainder of his career. He turns 34 in November. Agreeing to a buyout in the twilight of his career wouldn’t take away what he accomplished in his prime. It’d be a different story if Westbrook was in his late 20s.

That part doesn’t add up, but the idea that Westbrook would reject a buyout offer altogether represents another hurdle the Lakers have to clear to trade him.

Another day, more bad news.

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