Los Angeles Lakers
There are reasons why some fans are scratching their heads as to why the Lakers would believe Russell Westbrook can fit alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Westbrook isn’t exactly an efficient shooter (career 30.5 percent shooter from deep) and he’s at his best when he’s dominating possession of the basketball.
Spacing could be an issue for Los Angeles given Westbrook’s lack of shot-making. On the other hand, Westbrook brings some positives to the Lakers, including the ability to take some pressure off of James.
Los Angeles has struggled to be effective on offense when James is on the bench, so getting a playmaker like Westbrook should pay dividends in that area.
Considering that the Lakers could have had one of the premier outside shooters in the NBA in Hield, I docked some points on Los Angeles for taking Westbrook instead.
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If the Lakers can add some shooters for cheap this offseason, then this trade could go better than most people expect. While Westbrook is under contract through the 2022-2023 season, he is owed $91 million in that timespan and he holds a player option in 2022.
At the least, even if Westbrook doesn’t pan out, the Lakers didn’t give up much in Kuzma, Caldwell-Pope, and Harrell.
Grade: B+
