The Los Angeles Lakers have been one of the most talked-about topics so far this NBA season. They can’t seem to stay above water and project to be fighting for a playoff spot by the end of the year – not exactly where they wanted to be at the start of the season.

There are plenty of things people could blame. Frank Vogel has gotten the brunt of it, Anthony Davis’ injury and shooting woes have caught some heat, and their poor depth has been the talk of the town, too. But no one has been blamed more than point guard Russell Westbrook.

Westbrook joined the Lakers this past offseason when they traded Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Montrezl Harrell for him. They were originally going to trade that package for Buddy Hield, a move that (in hindsight) would have been more helpful, but LeBron James and Davis reportedly met with Westbrook before that happened.

The trio talked about putting egos aside to try and win a championship together, and that was the plan going into the year. Unfortunately, that hasn’t exactly panned out the way they might have hoped. This season has been full of nothing but struggles and Westbrook memes.

LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Lakers Bench Russell Westbrook; Time For Major Change?

According to rumors earlier this season, the Lakers explored potential trades to get Westbrook off the team.

At this point, though, his value might be so far in the dirt that Los Angeles would have to attach assets to offload him. If they want to take that route, then why not send him back to where it all started?