It has been the worst kept secret in the NBA for months that the Los Angeles Lakers want to trade away Russell Westbrook. Acquiring him via trade from the Washington Wizards last year has worked out disastrously for both player and team, so the desire to part ways was understandable.
While most of the blame for this failed move has been placed on Westbrook's shoulders, he definitely doesn't think he was the problem last season. He recently liked a tweet that indicated the blame lies with everyone else, as there was no continuity because of all the injuries and the lineup changes. The tweet also mentioned that the Lakers are now trying to trade him after their failure in finding a way to use him properly.
The fit with LeBron and Anthony Davis was never going to work because Westbrook has been a ball-dominant player for his entire career, which is why a lot of people within NBA circles were skeptical about the trade in the first place. The Lakers still decided to plunge and are now in trouble because of it.
It is getting ugly between him and the team here, so it would be better for everybody if he manages to find a new home for next season. The Lakers have set training camp as their deadline to trade him, as his presence would be too much of a distraction after that point.
Westbrook's value around the league has tanked after the kind of season he had last year though, which has made trading him away a challenging task. Teams are only willing to trade for him provided they get some draft picks in return and the Lakers are unwilling to part with any more picks, having given away a lot to get him and Anthony Davis. It is a rough situation that they find themselves in, but with both parties desperately wanting a breakup, we might see the move happen soon.
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