NBA insider Mark Stein confirms Lakers vice-president Rob Pelinka was keen on having Buddy Hield over Russell Westbrook before LeBron James and Anthony Davis convinced him.
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Though the Lakers had a much-needed win over the Brooklyn Nets, the heat on Russell Westbrook refuses to die. The former MVP has been under immense scrutiny for his lackluster performances. According to reports, the idea of moving Westbrook seems highly difficult.
In what many believe, Westbrook and head coach Frank Vogel are being made the scapegoats for the underperformance of the LA Lakers. Once touted as favorites to win the chip, the purple and gold team may not even find themselves in the post-season.
The Lakers acquired Westbrook during the 2021-22 off-season. His signing had met mixed reactions. Rumors of a Buddy Hield or DeMar DeRozan trade were in the midst of all this. With DeRozan publicly confessing his wish to play for his hometown LA.
However, LeBron James and Anthony Davis had convinced the front office that Westbrook was the missing piece to their Big 3.
Rob Pelinka wanted the Buddy Hield trade to fall through.
NBA insider Mark Stein confirmed in his column.
“Rob Pelinka wanted to and planned to trade for Buddy Hield, but James and Davis encouraged him to go after Westbrook.”
To trade or ride with Russ … new column examining the Lakers’ rest-of-the-season plans with regard to their grand Russell Westbrook experiment: https://t.co/mBzbP9gVZd
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) January 26, 2022
Surprisingly, it’s the Lakers front office facing the heat for the Westbrook trade. The Jeanie Buss organization had to part with a lot of their players in exchange for Russ. The Lakers shipped Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell, and KCP to the Washington Wizards.
Thus, losing its depth consisting of young blood. Unfortunately, the marriage of Westbrook with the Lakers hasn’t worked. The former MVP’s shooting woes and turnovers are a constant factor in the Lakers’ losses.
According to reports, the Lakers have been indulging in talks with various teams for a Westbrook trade. Brodie’s former team, the Houston Rockets, have emerged as front runners. The Rockets have agreed to give John Wall in exchange but want a first-round pick, which the Lakers are not willing to give.
It’s an unfortunate situation for Lakers fans, who find themselves in the middle of all this mess.
