Plenty of people predicted the Russel Westbrook trade to be bad. But no one, not even the most pessimistic fan thought the Los Angeles Lakers would've had such a terrible season after all the moves they made.
Obviously, putting all the blame on Westbrook would be unfair and inaccurate. The Lakers were a mess from top to bottom, from Rob Pelinka allowing his stars to call the shots, to Frank Vogel's inability to turn the picture around.
Then again, it became pretty clear that Westbrook was a bad fit next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis, as the 'Big 3' went just 11-10 when they were all healthy. For that, Russ' future with the team is murky at best.
NBA Rumors: Lakers Could Waive-And-Stretch Russell Westbrook's Contract
Recently, Westbrook stated that he'd be willing to run it back and give it another shot, albeit he knew it wasn't up to him. The Lakers, however, might not feel the same way; as they could use the waive-and-stretch provision to get his huge contract off their books:
"The Lakers, league sources say, have not ruled out simply parting ways with Westbrook via the waive-and-stretch provision," reported Marc Stein.
"A straight release of Westbrook that essentially transforms his mammoth player option for next season into what lives on their books as a three-year deal in the $15 million range annually would move the Lakers out of luxury-tax territory and make it far easier for them to retain free agent-to-be Malik Monk, who at times has unexpectedly appeared to be the Lakers’ most dependable player not named LeBron James throughout a nightmarish 31-48 campaign," Stein added.
"Facilitating Monk’s return might be reason enough for the Lakers to go this route and is expected, league sources say, to be under consideration," the report concluded.
Monk averaged 13.4 points, 3.4 boards, and 2.9 assists per game on limited action for Frank Vogel's team, and while those numbers are far from what Westbrook is capable of putting up, the Lakers desperately crave a deeper, better supporting cast and not another ball-dominant player.
Also, it's unlikely that any team will be willing to trade for Westbrook and the $40+ million remaining on his contract. His prime looks far behind him and his beef with the fans didn't do much to help his case.
