Report: 1 big Russell Westbrook move ‘inevitable’ for Lakers
Nov 23, 2021; New York, New York, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook (0) reacts during the third quarter against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Any hope of Russell Westbrook turning around his Los Angeles Lakers career faded quickly after a poor first three games, and those performances appear to have left one change looking “inevitable.”
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on Wednesday’s edition of “Get Up!” that Westbrook is highly likely to be moved to the bench at some point in the near future. The only trades still on the table for the veteran guard are the ones the Lakers were not interested in during the offseason, and that is unlikely to change until well into the season.
"I think a Russell Westbrook move to the bench is probably inevitable… Utah, Indiana, who the Lakers talked with a lot in the offseason, I'm told they've not heard from the Lakers yet this season."
— @wojespn pic.twitter.com/UzLoEwgpIs
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 26, 2022
“I think a Russell Westbrook move to the bench is probably inevitable unless his performance changes (or) the team’s performance changes,” Wojnarowski said.
Westbrook simply has not fit in with the Lakers and his teammates seem tired of some of his on-court decisions. Limiting his minutes and changing who he plays with might be the only shot the team has at making him serviceable.
Of course, relegating Westbrook to a bench role might risk destabilizing things even further depending on how he takes it. Some reports have indicated that might not be as big a problem as one might think, though.