3 Lakers who won’t last the entire 2022-23 season with the team

The Los Angeles Lakers have essentially locked in their roster for the 2022-23 season with Lakers training camp right around the corner and no impending moves on the horizon. While the team could surprise us, most fans have already come to the acceptance that this is the roster the team will have.

And that is not very exciting. After one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history, the front office has not done enough this offseason to convince anyone that they will contend this season.

In-season moves are going to have to happen if Los Angeles is going to have any chance of contending this season. Because of that, we can pinpoint which Lakers players likely won’t finish the 2022-23 season with the team.

3 Lakers who won’t last the entire 2022-23 season:

1. Russell Westbrook 

Let’s get the obvious one out of the way first. It is very unlikely that Russell Westbrook finishes the entire season with the Lakers. For that to happen, Westbrook would have to genuinely change his style of play to fit in with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Nothing in his career indicates that will happen.

This does not guarantee that a Westbrook trade will happen. However, it is an easier sell in February than it is in September. At that point, Westbrook will only have half of his yearly salary on the books and whatever team is trading for him would be paying less to buy him out. Plus, the Lakers could be a lot more desperate then than they are now, leading to the team taking a package of Buddy Hield and Myles Turner for two first-round picks if it is still available.

If a trade does not happen then the Lakers themselves could end up buying Westbrook out. If things are going as they were last season then it will be a no-brainer to buy Westbrook out after the deadline if they cannot find a trade partner for him.