Edit – also Russ has not been good. The bar was just set in the depths of hell that we now perceive anything greater than that as good. Not to mention 47m is still 47m and his “improved” play still does not warrant that total dollar contribution
Bahamut727
7 games in December
13.7 PPG
8 rebounds
8 assists
1 steal 1 block
3.6 turnovers
41% from the field
15% from three
67% from the FT line
Minus 47
jamjad
Fuck pelinka
LudwigNasche
His production/salary is bad. He would be great for MLE, but he isn’t worth half his salary.
___FreePalestine___
and there it is lol. Unserious team and organization.
blacPanther55
Wait to the Wizards and Bulls go full tank to trade him. This move makes sense.
SolubleAcrobat
Buy high, sell low.
CiroccPapi
Bruh. I’m tired.
kama54
Joke of a front office. I fucking hate how much I love this franchise.
yungzoowap
_just2much_
I hate this team so much man. So much. I just wanna enjoy basketball again.
ghoney04
Guess other teams lost interest when they found out that they didn’t have an AD of their own to unlock 😔
r1290
Rob has no idea what he’s doing
Dismal_Committee_696
They aint gone do shit till all the rich niggas stop paying for season tickets this is simply passive income for jeanie and rob aint no work getting done stop making Lebron and Ham speak on behalf of yall for why this team is constructed so poorly
XxNoKnifexX
He is simultaneously playing pretty well for himself and terribly for the team as far as winning goes, which is pretty on brand. This franchise is legit pathetic if this story is true. Zero sense of urgency, if you are gonna move the guy, move him, if you aren’t, just move on and let us “enjoy” the season.
shoelover46
Awful FO keeping a guy they can’t even play during the playoffs.
Hot_Pie1464
According to a source with knowledge of the Lakers’ plans, Westbrook’s play this past month has made it increasingly unlikely that he will be traded before the league’s Feb. 9 deadline. Since becoming a sixth man on Oct. 28, the 34-year-old, who is in the final year of his (massive) contract, has averaged 15.2 points, 7.9 assists, 5.8 rebounds, 3.8 turnovers and 28.2 minutes. For the sake of perspective, only six players (Luka Dončić, Nikola Jokić, Ja Morant, Pascal Siakam, Jrue Holiday and James Harden) have met those 15-7–and-5 marks so far this season. The Lakers have gone 11-12 in that span.
Production aside, Westbrook’s imperfect fit with these Lakers clearly remains an issue. Consider this: Even with those gaudy numbers that he has produced as a sixth man since Oct. 28, the Lakers’ net rating has been eight points better when he’s off the floor (plus-4.6) than when he’s on (minus-3.4; the worst mark among the team’s top seven rotational players in that span).
Still, the days of Westbrook being widely seen as the primary reason these Lakers have underperformed appear to be over. And that welcome development, it appears, has shifted the Lakers’ focus during this trade season that is just getting started.
As our Lakers beat writer, Jovan Buha, detailed on Dec. 1, the Lakers have been taking a three-pronged approach while the self-evaluation process continued. A quick review of that reporting…
Path 1 is to trade Westbrook, plus a pick or two, for a star or multiplayer haul. Path 2 is to trade some combination of Patrick Beverley, Kendrick Nunn and picks (one first-round and/or multiple second-round picks) for role players who better address needs and upgrade the rotation. Path 3 would be two separate deals: one with Westbrook plus one first-round pick, another using a Beverley-Nunn-pick package. There’s always a never-say-never qualifier to trade stories this time of year, but the other element in play here is that the Lakers’ dream scenario — a star player becoming available in these early months — is still nothing more than a fantasy. Whether it’s DeMar DeRozan or Zach Lavine in Chicago, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in Oklahoma City, Bradley Beal in Washington or other players of that ilk, there is no Anthony Davis-esque scenario emerging like the one Lakers benefited from when he asked out of New Orleans in the summer of 2019.
As our Shams Charania reported on Monday, the Lakers have shown interest in Detroit’s Bojan Bogdanović and New York’s Cam Reddish and Evan Fournier. The pressure remains to make a move (or two) of significance, especially with the Lakers having lost four of their last five games and LeBron James making it clear in so many ways recently that his patience is waning.
But in terms of the Westbrook calculus, and the general question of whether he can help them recover from the 2-10 start to becoming a potent playoff team, there’s also a strong sense that the Lakers believe Westbrook’s contributions will only improve from here. First-year coach Darvin Ham deserves all sorts of credit here, as he managed to navigate Westbrook’s initial frustration with the decision to bring him off the bench.
Westbrook may not be thrilled with the role, but his improved play and intensity speak volumes about his willingness to accept the reality that it’s the right move for this team. This is why Lakers owner Jeanie Buss was known to be reluctant to give up on Westbrook in those days leading into training camp, when they came so close to doing the well-chronicled deal with Indiana that would have sent Westbrook to the Pacers in exchange for big man Myles Turner and sharpshooter Buddy Hield.
danzag333
I hate this front office and ownership
YouKnowIt-IKnowIt
Why? Contract is shit. He’s been shit. Stats show he’s shit. Eye-test show he’s shit. He’s a walking shit but somehow he has been good? Fuck off
Bhill2k7
Well any amount of them anything worth a shit is gone if he stays….probably do some stupid shit like sign him to an extension too 🤦🏾♂️…..I’m done just done
isit65outsideor
Like most reports, I’m not buying it. Especially Sam, he’s okay with Laker news but still..
However I do think there’s some slight truth to this. Westbrook has been better than Dennis, Nunn, and Patrick. Also it’s very hard to move an expiring contract for good players.
As I said before the season started, Westbrook will be a Laker all year.
winter-r0se
you had front row seats to 82 games of losing basketball last season but 10 games of mediocre play is what.. lol foh.
Harleytk24
TheWestRemembers
We’re getting fucking scammed guys.
TheWestRemembers
I feel like a Q Anon nut getting told “It’s gonna happen” while in reality this front office is not doing shit
TheWhisperingDeath
If I’m AD, I ain’t signing that extension. Simple.
27 Comments
Post the article?
Edit – also Russ has not been good. The bar was just set in the depths of hell that we now perceive anything greater than that as good. Not to mention 47m is still 47m and his “improved” play still does not warrant that total dollar contribution
7 games in December
13.7 PPG
8 rebounds
8 assists
1 steal 1 block
3.6 turnovers
41% from the field
15% from three
67% from the FT line
Minus 47
Fuck pelinka
His production/salary is bad. He would be great for MLE, but he isn’t worth half his salary.
and there it is lol. Unserious team and organization.
Wait to the Wizards and Bulls go full tank to trade him. This move makes sense.
Buy high, sell low.
Bruh. I’m tired.
Joke of a front office. I fucking hate how much I love this franchise.
I hate this team so much man. So much. I just wanna enjoy basketball again.
Guess other teams lost interest when they found out that they didn’t have an AD of their own to unlock 😔
Rob has no idea what he’s doing
They aint gone do shit till all the rich niggas stop paying for season tickets this is simply passive income for jeanie and rob aint no work getting done stop making Lebron and Ham speak on behalf of yall for why this team is constructed so poorly
He is simultaneously playing pretty well for himself and terribly for the team as far as winning goes, which is pretty on brand. This franchise is legit pathetic if this story is true. Zero sense of urgency, if you are gonna move the guy, move him, if you aren’t, just move on and let us “enjoy” the season.
Awful FO keeping a guy they can’t even play during the playoffs.
According to a source with knowledge of the Lakers’ plans, Westbrook’s play this past month has made it increasingly unlikely that he will be traded before the league’s Feb. 9 deadline. Since becoming a sixth man on Oct. 28, the 34-year-old, who is in the final year of his (massive) contract, has averaged 15.2 points, 7.9 assists, 5.8 rebounds, 3.8 turnovers and 28.2 minutes. For the sake of perspective, only six players (Luka Dončić, Nikola Jokić, Ja Morant, Pascal Siakam, Jrue Holiday and James Harden) have met those 15-7–and-5 marks so far this season. The Lakers have gone 11-12 in that span.
Production aside, Westbrook’s imperfect fit with these Lakers clearly remains an issue. Consider this: Even with those gaudy numbers that he has produced as a sixth man since Oct. 28, the Lakers’ net rating has been eight points better when he’s off the floor (plus-4.6) than when he’s on (minus-3.4; the worst mark among the team’s top seven rotational players in that span).
Still, the days of Westbrook being widely seen as the primary reason these Lakers have underperformed appear to be over. And that welcome development, it appears, has shifted the Lakers’ focus during this trade season that is just getting started.
As our Lakers beat writer, Jovan Buha, detailed on Dec. 1, the Lakers have been taking a three-pronged approach while the self-evaluation process continued. A quick review of that reporting…
Path 1 is to trade Westbrook, plus a pick or two, for a star or multiplayer haul.
Path 2 is to trade some combination of Patrick Beverley, Kendrick Nunn and picks (one first-round and/or multiple second-round picks) for role players who better address needs and upgrade the rotation.
Path 3 would be two separate deals: one with Westbrook plus one first-round pick, another using a Beverley-Nunn-pick package.
There’s always a never-say-never qualifier to trade stories this time of year, but the other element in play here is that the Lakers’ dream scenario — a star player becoming available in these early months — is still nothing more than a fantasy. Whether it’s DeMar DeRozan or Zach Lavine in Chicago, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in Oklahoma City, Bradley Beal in Washington or other players of that ilk, there is no Anthony Davis-esque scenario emerging like the one Lakers benefited from when he asked out of New Orleans in the summer of 2019.
As our Shams Charania reported on Monday, the Lakers have shown interest in Detroit’s Bojan Bogdanović and New York’s Cam Reddish and Evan Fournier. The pressure remains to make a move (or two) of significance, especially with the Lakers having lost four of their last five games and LeBron James making it clear in so many ways recently that his patience is waning.
But in terms of the Westbrook calculus, and the general question of whether he can help them recover from the 2-10 start to becoming a potent playoff team, there’s also a strong sense that the Lakers believe Westbrook’s contributions will only improve from here. First-year coach Darvin Ham deserves all sorts of credit here, as he managed to navigate Westbrook’s initial frustration with the decision to bring him off the bench.
Westbrook may not be thrilled with the role, but his improved play and intensity speak volumes about his willingness to accept the reality that it’s the right move for this team. This is why Lakers owner Jeanie Buss was known to be reluctant to give up on Westbrook in those days leading into training camp, when they came so close to doing the well-chronicled deal with Indiana that would have sent Westbrook to the Pacers in exchange for big man Myles Turner and sharpshooter Buddy Hield.
I hate this front office and ownership
Why? Contract is shit. He’s been shit. Stats show he’s shit. Eye-test show he’s shit. He’s a walking shit but somehow he has been good? Fuck off
Well any amount of them anything worth a shit is gone if he stays….probably do some stupid shit like sign him to an extension too 🤦🏾♂️…..I’m done just done
Like most reports, I’m not buying it. Especially Sam, he’s okay with Laker news but still..
However I do think there’s some slight truth to this. Westbrook has been better than Dennis, Nunn, and Patrick. Also it’s very hard to move an expiring contract for good players.
As I said before the season started, Westbrook will be a Laker all year.
you had front row seats to 82 games of losing basketball last season but 10 games of mediocre play is what.. lol foh.
We’re getting fucking scammed guys.
I feel like a Q Anon nut getting told “It’s gonna happen” while in reality this front office is not doing shit
If I’m AD, I ain’t signing that extension. Simple.
His turnovers are KILLING ME