To say that the Los Angeles Lakers' decision to trade for Russell Westbrook in 2021 was a disaster would be an understatement. What was supposed to be a contender turned into what truly might've been the beginning of the end for LeBron and LA. It felt like literally everyone involved was eager to move on (probably because that was the case) and not repeat it, to the point where the future of the 37-year-old guard hinges on what the 41-year-old does this offseason.
Stefan Bondy of the New York Post reported on Sunday that Westbrook is an option for the Heat in free agency, but there's a catch:
According to a league source, Russell Westbrook is a candidate to join the Heat but not if LeBron signs in Miami.
That doesn't explicitly say Westbrook himself doesn't want to play with James again, but from what the public saw (and that was probably enough), those two didn't exactly seem to have the best relationship in LA. You can read between the lines there.
Westbrook reportedly a "candidate" for Heat, but it depends on LeBron
Rob Pelinka thought he was doing something when he added Westbrook alongside James and Anthony Davis, and, technically speaking, he was. It just wasn't the something he hoped it would be, unless he were purposefully trying to bring down the organization from within.
Westbrook struggled to find his footing during the year and a half he spent with the Lakers, which you can't blame entirely on him, as the Big Three struggled to stay healthy and build chemistry. It was hard for him to step into a new role where he didn't have the ball in his hands the majority of the time, and even harder for him to adjust to coming off the bench.
The tension between him and LA had reached its boiling point a few times by the time the three-team trade that sent Westbrook to Utah happened, even more so with him and LeBron. James advocated for the Lakers to get Kyrie Irving (and was disappointed when they didn't), while Westbrook was still on the roster. It got messy, to say the least.
Some Lakers fans out there may still wake up in a cold sweat thinking about that deal and what it meant for LeBron's time in LA.
Miami can learn from Los Angeles' mistakes. First and foremost, the Heat now have to think about their new superstar, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and how to maximize the roster around him and Bam Adebayo to win a title. Adding LeBron to the mix would help, and if they miss out on him, they could turn to Westbrook, but there's a good chance you will never see those two on the same team again.
It was a once-in-a-lifetime thing in Los Angeles, and not in the sense that inspires a sweet sense of nostalgia.
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