The biggest storyline surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers dating back to the end of last season has been a potential Russell Westbrook trade. Los Angeles quickly regretted the initial trade for Westbrook and after such a disappointing year, a Russ trade seemed inevitable.
However, despite all of the rumors and speculation, the Lakers did not pull the trigger on a trade and rolled into the season with Westbrook on the roster. They still managed to make it awkward by signing Dennis Schroder, who they were reportedly waiting to sign until they traded Westbrook.
While the team has options and more teams might be added as potential trade candidates, it does not seem like a Westbrook trade is going to be in the cards this season. Unless some incredible deal becomes available that seems impossible right now, fans should expect Westbrook to stay all season in LA.
Here are 3 reasons why the Lakers won’t trade Russell Westbrook (barring a crazy change):
1. Russell Westbrook has been reinvented thus far this season
As one of Westbrook’s biggest critics myself, I must admit that the former point guard has really found a nice role on this team off the bench. Los Angeles definitely needed a shot in the arm on the bench and Westbrook has played the best basketball of his Lakers tenure since the move.
Now, there are a few things to keep in mind. The first is that this is a small sample size and that there is no guarantee that this will last forever. However, as long as the team keeps this same structure and allows Russ to be Russ in smaller moments, it will be fine.
The team has to refuse the desire to start playing him more and move him back into the starting lineup. That defeats the entire purpose of this role and the team would just be going back to square one.
Keep him from playing in crunch time (regardless of how upset he gets about it) and allow him to be a new, better version of bench Rajon Rondo for this team. If he has a problem with it, then the team can address a trade.