There is said to be a lot of rumbling behind the scenes between Russell Westbrook and the Los Angeles Lakers. Apparently, it is very unlikely that the point guard will remain in LA beyond the summer.
This is reported by Marc Stein Substack. According to his information, some Lakers officials see it as “impossible” that Westbrook will still be part of the traditional franchise in the coming season. Accordingly, there are tensions between Westbrook and the coaching staff.
The 33-year-old reacted very “defiantly” when coaches or teammates asked him about possible changes in his role or his approach. Most recently, head coach Frank Vogel said in relation to a possible bank role for Westbrook that “all possibilities” would be discussed.
Laut Adrian Wojnarowski (ESPN) the Lakers coach is being urged from several quarters to demote Westbrook from the starting lineup. So far, however, Vogel is said to have resisted this pressure from the organization. However, Woj also reports tensions between Westbrook and the coaching staff and different views on how the guard should best be deployed. A “tense mood” between Westbrook and Vogel is said to have prevailed in a film session on Friday.
However, Westbrook, who has been benched several times in the final stages of tight games over the course of the season, does not seem to like the suggestion. The point guard only joined the Lakers in the summer of 2021 via a trade from Washington, but his fit in LeBron James’ team did not fit.
Westbrook has had a disappointing season so far with 18.1 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists with poor shot rates (43.3 percent from the field and 28.4 percent from downtown). This also applies to the Lakers in general, who currently only have 27 wins and 35 losses (9th place in the west). LA lags miles behind its own expectations.
Los Angeles Lakers: Does Westbrook also want a trade?
Even Bleacher Report had recently announced that the Lakers will again look for a trade for Westbrook in the summer after this attempt was not successful by the trade deadline in February.
Apparently both sides, including Westbrook, are interested in finding a new team for the nine-time All-Star. He does, however, have a $47 million player option for next season that makes a trade difficult. The Lakers will likely have to offer additional draft picks in a deal to get rid of Westbrook.
