Russell Westbrook wants to feel empowered by his new team if the Los Angeles Lakers were to trade him away for the season.
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Russell Westbrook making it to the Los Angeles Lakers the previous offseason was one of the biggest moves of that period. NBA fans, while they doubted the capabilities of Russ alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, felt as though they would figure it out and would compete for the 2022 championship.
Instead, the purple and gold not only, missed the Playoffs but lost to the rebuilding San Antonio Spurs for the final play-in spot. Ever since last season’s dud, Russ’s name has been in trades. It feels as though Rob Pelinka and company have offered the ‘Russell Westbrook and 2 FRPs in 2027 and 2029’ package to almost every single team in the league.
As of recent, Westbrook was seen in high spirits with Patrick Beverley, a man who many slated as the 2017 MVP’s ‘arch-nemesis’. While they do share a tumultuous history with one another, the two have been all smiles since Pat Bec’s press conference.
According to Brian Windhorst, the reason for Russ being on his ‘best behavior’ is because he fears that if he is traded, he wouldn’t have a market anywhere else in the league.
Russell Westbrook is open to a trade.
Spending $47 million on Russell Westbrook in 2023 isn’t exactly a wise investment on a team’s chances at a championship. This isn’t to say that he isn’t a good player anymore as his historic season with the Washington Wizards was just over a year ago. However, him being a contender’s number one offensive option isn’t going to be viable nowadays.
In a recent report from ESPN’s Ramona Shelbourne, Westbrook is actually open to being traded away from the team. While he hasn’t asked for a trade outright as of yet, if he were to be, he would want it to be a team that ‘empowers’ him and allows him to play like his usual self.
Russell Westbrook is ‘very open’ to a trade, per ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne
“He hasn’t asked for a trade. I’ve been assured of that. But he’s open to that and somebody who wants him and wants to empower him and wants him to be Russell Westbrook of old.”
(h/t HoopsHype) pic.twitter.com/SdGIZBemhf
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) September 10, 2022
The last time Russ was allowed to play like himself, he was carrying a Wizards squad that had to deal with an absent Bradley Beal for most of the season. In those 65 games, he put up 22.2 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 11.7 assists a night.
