“LeBron James is going to admit the Russell Westbrook trade was a mistake”: Skip Bayless predicts a grim future for the Lakers following ‘Brodie’s’ uneventful stints with Kevin Durant and James Harden

Skip Bayless claims LeBron James will eventually throw his hands up in the air and admit that the Russell Westbrook trade was indeed, a mistake. 

It feels as though every single NBA offseason has a ‘league-shattering’ trade that tips the balance in a certain team’s favor to win it all the following season. Russell Westbrook joining forces with LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the Los Angeles Lakers is the closest approximation to such a trade as the NBA bears witness to yet another formidable ‘Big 3’. 

Though having big names like those three on the same squad in a market as big as Los Angeles is certainly going to drive up the hype for their title contention, on paper, the Lakers aren’t looking all too great. Russell Westbrook and his inability to shoot, amongst other things, have been brought up ad nauseum by both fans and analysts alike.

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LeBron James is clearly ecstatic to have the 2017 MVP on his side but it’s safe to say that he’s also thinking about the fit alongside him. 

Skip Bayless predicts a grim future for Russell Westbrook, LeBron James, and the Lakers. 

Skip Bayless usually delves into anti-LeBron takes on unprecedented occasions. However, saying that the 4x champ won’t be able to a ring with Russell Westbrook after guys like James Harden, Kevin Durant, and Paul George failed, isn’t that big of a stretch. 

“If anybody could make this work, LeBron James could. But in the end, even LeBron will throw his hands and say, ‘This is a disaster. This was a mistake,” said Bayless.

If anybody can make this work, LeBron could. But in the end, even LeBron will throw up his hands and say: “This is a disaster. This was a mistake.” More @Undisputed, now on FS1 https://t.co/6ewqLFUk0H

— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) August 11, 2021

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In all fairness, Rob Pelinka and the Lakers front office did a decent job at surrounding their ‘Big 3’ with shooters. Guys like Wayne Ellington and Kent Bazemore are excellent spot-up shooters, perfect for LeBron James/Russell Westbrook drive-and-kicks to the perimeter. 

Along with spacing provided by role players, Westbrook gives an aging James he hasn’t had for a while: an All-NBA caliber playmaker. It would be foolish to think that season 19 LeBron will average the same old 27, 7, and 7 and having someone take the reins while he takes a breather is quite necessary.