Still haunted by their demons, the Lakers are desperately looking for a way out of this dire situation. For an analyst, this would involve a shock transfer that they would carry out immediately… if only they had the possibility!
Failing to see the flaws of the team erased on the field, the fans hope that the front office will achieve it thanks to the trade market. Still in search of identity at the start of the second half of the season, the Lakers are an integral part of transfer rumors. Several big names jostle in the hallway noises concerning them for a few days, but one concern remains, namely their limited room for manoeuvre.
Without his XXL contract, Westbrook would already be far from the Lakers
In lack of wages allowing them to acquire recruits of choice before February 10, Angelinos could turn to more affordable solutions. However, they could aim higher, if only one of their major players had a better rating on the market. You guessed it, it is indeed Russell Westbrook, whose place in the LA roster would have already been swapped a long time ago according to Stephen A. Smith!
“The only reason we would say [Russ] ain’t getting traded is ‘cause of his salary, that the Lakers would GIVE him away.”
—@stephenasmith pic.twitter.com/VNPmwETIOq
— First Take (@FirstTake) January 20, 2022
It’s gotten to a point where the only reason Russell Westbrook hasn’t been traded is because of his salary. The Lakers would trade it in a second if they could! He’s not even going to be All-Star this year. Think about it: we’re talking about Russell Westbrook! He’s not even All-Star this year!
What would therefore save the Brodie is none other than his juicy lease at 44 million this season.
Not really tender with Russell Westbrook in recent months, SAS has obviously not stopped there in its criticism. The famous consultant ofESPN carried out a more global retrospective of the star leader’s career, which necessarily did not highlight him!
I will repeat something I said months ago. Here are the teammates that Russell Westbrook had: Kevin Durant, James Harden, Serge Ibaka, Reggie Jackson, Victor Oladipo, Paul George, James Harden again, Bradley Beal, LeBron James and Anthony Davis. And you don’t have a single title to show off. It’s a matter of inheritance. (…) We will end up having to look at this list and these failures, and he will have to accept it.
There is only one way for Russ to escape this scathing observation in a few months: go up the slope with the Purple & Gold, and win the Larry O’Brien trophy at the end of the year!
For Stephen A. Smith, Russell Westbrook would have already packed his bags and left the Lakers if he did not have such a large contract. It’s up to him to justify it in the weeks to come, and to push his leaders to congratulate themselves on having recruited him this summer!
