LeBron James and Anthony Davis are two of the game’s best, but they’re always looking to add talent. Even Russell Westbrook maybe?
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The All Star and former MVP just finished another year averaging a triple double as he took the Washington Wizards back to the playoffs with Bradley Beal.
However, he’s also not going to be competing for a championship anytime soon with Washington. They don’t have the adequate pieces to make a title run. Instead, they’re a bottom tier playoff team, a team that could make the postseason but do very little once they actually make it.
So, could the all time triple double leader look to join a genuine contender? There may be some interest from some superstars in Los Angeles, California. The speculation started after LeBron and Anthony Davis followed Westbrook’s wife, Nina Westbrook, on Instagram:
Anthony Davis and LeBron James started following nina Westbrook 👀👀 pic.twitter.com/yOA8tC0Kme
— …. (@lukadoncic777_) June 18, 2021
Russell Westbrook To The LA Lakers? Could LeBron James, AD, & Russell Westbrook Form A New Big 3?
The thought of Westbrook joining the Lakers sounds frightening. Westbrook is a top 2 or 3 point guard in the league at the moment. He does it all. Points, rebounds, and assists are all part of his repertoire. That’s obvious, of course, given his triple double record.
However, can you imagine that kind of a presence playing alongside LeBron and AD? It’d be perfect. Westbrook is the exact kind of guard that can get out in transition early to set up his other superstars, and that’s precisely what the Lakers should want.
While LeBron is a great passer and has embraced playing point guard, there are genuine questions about how he’ll respond as he grows older. Taking some of the offensive load off of him would do wonders for the Lakers long term.
With Westbrook in the fold, LeBron wouldn’t need to worry about setting up his teammates as much. He could free-lance much more, play off-ball, and look to attack the basket with solid set-ups from Westbrook.
That kind of offense would be ideal for the Lakers. A point guard who isn’t selfish for points, excels at passing the ball, and get out fast and early in transition? Say less. The Lakers have no true point guard behind LeBron and at times that has killed the bench production.
Adding Westbrook would solve those problems. The Lakers could also set up their rotations in such a way that at least one superstar is on the court at all times. As health becomes an issue following both James’ and Davis’ injuries this years, being able to play less without compromising on on-court production would do wonders for LA.
However, obtaining Westbrook would not be easy. He’s under contract till 2023 which means the Lakers would have to somehow trade for him. Westbrook’s massive salary makes that a difficulty as his average salary till 2023 is $41 million.
Thus, the Lakers would have to throw a lot of pieces at the Wizards to make a deal even financially possible. Is the lack of depth worth it for Westbrook? It might just be, but this is all speculation for now. That’s all Lakers fans will do after both LeBron and AD followed Nina Westbrook on Instagram.