The Los Angeles Lakers are more likely to reduce the role of Russell Westbrook before they’re able to execute a trade that improves their roster.
“The big trades that people want with the Lakers… Westbrook and his $47 million out with those first round picks the Lakers have in ’27 and ’29… all the deals the Lakers didn’t want to do in the offseason, that’s all that’s there two weeks into the season,” said Adrian Wojnarowski.
“Teams don’t really get serious about doing deals and maybe pivoting away from trying to be a playoff team, or trying to go toward the lottery in a year where there’s Victor Wembanyama available. They’re not going to do that until 20 or 30 games into the season. So all the deals the Lakers didn’t think give them enough value for trading those picks, they’re all still there. Utah, Indiana, who the Lakers talked with a lot during the offseason, I’m told they’ve not heard from the Lakers yet this offseason.
“People are going to have to get use to a team that’s not going to make dramatic change for a while, if really at all this year.”
Wojnarowski also said that a Westbrook “move to the bench is probably inevitable” unless there is a change in his performance.
