By Jordan Long
The L.A. Lakers have been officially eliminated from playoff contention with their loss against the Phoenix Suns by the score of 121-110. This is the 1st time since 2019 the L.A. Lakers will not play any postseason games. Now the Lakers have a decision to make with Russell Westbrook.
Westbrook finished his first year in L.A. after Washington dealt him to the Lakers. The Lakers were hoping adding him with LeBron James and Anthony Davis would create a “big 3” who would increase their odds of winning an NBA Title.
It didn’t work out. Westbrook’s numbers were down. He averaged 18.5 points per game, his lowest since the 2010 season. That year he put in 16.1 points per game as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Westbrook added 7.4 rebounds per game. This total was lower than the 2021 season when he had 11.5 rebounds per game for Washington.
Once the Lakers’ playoff hopes were dashed, Westbrook would like to stay in L.A. and play for the franchise next year. According to CBSsports.com, Westbrook said, “That’s the plan. But nothing is promised. You kind of have to take it one day at a time each day. Like I’ve said all season long, you’ve got to play the cards you’re dealt. Yes, we want to be able to see what that looks like, what that entails over the course of an 82-game season, but we’re not sure if that’s guaranteed, either. So I just hope that we have a chance to be able to do something.”
Westbrook has a player option for next year. It will pay him around $47 million if he decides to accept the option. The Lakers could try to find a trade partner but that is a lot of money for another franchise. Teams may shy away only because of the big number and try to talk him into a lower one.
The other choice is for Westbrook to decline the option and test free agency but who knows what he would get in the open market. The Lakers can offer him a multi-year deal at a lower rate if he decides to decline the player option.
The Lakers need to wait and see what Westbrook decides to do. The Lakers know they want to improve the team for 2022-2023. The question is whether Westbrook would be part of the plan moving forward. Even if Westbrook takes his player option it won’t guarantee him to be in L.A. since he could still be traded. General Manager Rob Pelinka will do what he thinks is best for the team. Of course, the goal is to build a championship team.
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