Russell Westbrook has made it clear that he'd rather leave the Los Angeles Lakers and get a fresh start somewhere else. He even fired his agent because he tried to convince him to stay in Los Angeles.
But if Westbrook was serious about leaving, then picking up his player option all but killed that possibility. Of course, walking away from $47 million wasn't a wise decision, and that was never a real possibility.
So, now that the Lakers refuse to give up multiple picks to get rid of Westbrook, it seems like they're stuck with each other, at least for the time being. Nonetheless, an anonymous NBA agent claims that he could still be traded close to the deadline:
NBA Rumors: Lakers Could Keep Russell Westbrook Until The Trade Deadline
"He'll become easier to trade closer to the deadline [with the Lakers responsible for more than half of his 2022-23 salary]. That's a lot less money for an owner to spend on," the agent told Bleacher Report's Eric Pinus. "Teams are more realistic on where they stand at that point. Other players become unhappy. Some may become available that [simply] aren't right now."
Lakers Should Bench Westbrook If They Can't Trade Him, Claims Agent
Also, the agent claims that whether it's now or after the deadline, the Lakers should just take the 'John Wall approach' and bench him until he's traded, as he's not going to be happy with coming off the bench:
"They're better without Russ, and he won't come off the bench. Good luck with that. He's going to b---h and moan. He thinks he's the Russ of old," the agent said. "'John Wall' him and take time... to know what they need before jumping in. The team can't lose this trade, and everyone knows it. Trading just to trade is an awful mentality."
Westbrook isn't done. But he's just not a $47 million-a-year kind of player right now. Unfortunately, he's failed to realize that, and that might end up dooming him in the sunset of his career.
