Does Russell Westbrook still have value around the NBA?
Other than hiring the right head coach, the first item of business for the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason is trying to trade Russell Westbrook.
Doing so presents a challenge, not only because of his outsized contract, which will pay him $47 million next season, but also because of who he is as a player.
Westbrook has always been an impetuous character whose decision-making has always been questionable and whose perimeter shooting and defense have always been poor.
But he has historically been a lock to make the All-Star team, an honor he has accomplished nine times.
However, he wasn’t in Cleveland this year for the NBA’s annual midseason classic, and it was due to his inconsistent play throughout the season.
Although Westbrook closed the season in strong fashion, one has to wonder if rival executives still see him as a good player.
An asset or a liability?
Overall, Westbrook averaged 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game. He had his lowest scoring average since his second year in the league, back when he was still making his name.
His shooting efficiency, which has always been a bone of contention for him, didn’t improve. He made 44.4 percent of his shots from the field and just 29.8 percent from 3-point range.
Reportedly, in terms of a tradable asset for the Lakers, Westbrook is seen as little more than a placeholder and a way to clear out salary cap space in 2023, when some big-name players could be on the market.
Via Los Angeles Times:
“To other teams, Westbrook represented a one-year problem on the books as a way to erase long-term commitments to other players,” wrote Dan Woike. “Some scouts and executives around the league don’t view Westbrook as a useful player at this stage, especially with a nearly $50 million price tag.”
Fortunately, players who represent nothing more than salary cap ballast serve a legitimate purpose in the NBA.
One positive thing about Westbrook's play this season
If the L.A.-area native and Leuzinger High graduate did not show any improvement, or even regressed in some areas this season, he did get better at one thing that has been a problem for him for a long time.
Westbrook has long been excoriated for his propensity to turn the ball over. In each of the last seven seasons, he has averaged at least 4.3 turnovers a game.
But this season, he got that number down to 3.8 per game. As a reference point, teammate LeBron James, who has never been known for throwing the ball away, turned it over 3.5 times a game this year.
Reportedly, there are at least a couple of teams that have a legitimate interest in dealing for Westbrook this offseason. Even if he would represent little more than salary cap relief for them, they do have some useful players who could help the Lakers get a head start on returning to elite status.
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