The Los Angeles Lakers were clearly missing something this past season. Although being devastated by injuries obviously played a role in the premature conclusion to their year, so did having the wrong personnel.
Fixing that requires giving up some players and adding different ones in their place.
The first part of that equation should be fairly easy. LA has already put one of their biggest stars on the trade block. He seems to be coming to terms with it in his own special way.
The next logical step is adding more talent.
One legitimate option? Russell Westbrook of the Washington Wizards.
This week, eagle-eyed fans noticed something on Instagram:
Anthony Davis and LeBron James started following nina Westbrook 👀👀 pic.twitter.com/yOA8tC0Kme
— …. (@lukadoncic777_) June 18, 2021
Naturally, Lakers fan were giddy at the prospect of Westbrook coming to town.
Everyone crying for shooters but forget to mention whenever Bron or AD sits down them “shooters” aren’t going to keep us in the game and knock on wood if anything happens to ad or Bron through the season Russ is definitely someone who can hold the team down until then
— soulja slim of bankhead (@42thuggg) June 18, 2021
Russ been trying to get home for a while i hope he does. Deserves a chance for a chip
— Chris Logan (@clothunda) June 18, 2021
So how realistic is Westbrook getting acquired by the Lakers?
Well, the 32-year-old is due to make $44 million next season and has a player option for $47 million the following season. That’s a hefty amount of money to pay someone when your team has no shot of winning a championship, which is the case with the Wizards.
Yikes Melo. Well that explains the divorce. https://t.co/Nnr9Mi3fMC
— Game 7 (@game7__) June 18, 2021
Last week, a report surfaced that a Westbrook-to-LA deal has at least been deemed viable. Whether it will actually happen or not remains to be seen.
Presumably, if a trade did occur, LA would receive Westbrook, whereas the Wizards would get Montrezl Harrell, Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, a 2023 second-round pick and a 2024 second-round pick.
One way or another, this shaping up to be a very interesting offseason.
Related: Why Was Dave Portnoy Suspended From Twitter?
Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7’s go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.
