Now that Kevin Durant has decided to leave OKC seeking greener grass, a lot of the focus has turned to Russell Westbrook. Some think Westbrook was part of the problem which caused KD to leave. Now that he is alone, it’s clear he can be the alpha male and leader of the team but how long will that last? Teams are already lining up their free agency pitches for Westbrook who has one season left on his contract. The Lakers believe they are the favorites which they feel will ultimately bring Westbrook to L.A. next season.
Report: Lakers think they can sign Russell Westbrook next summer https://t.co/HEeuCyQjcs
— Kurt Helin (@basketballtalk) July 11, 2016
The Lakers don’t plan to seek Westbrook via trade because they refuse to give up something for a guy they are confident about signing as a free agent.
ESPN’s Chris Broussard shared these thoughts,
“The Lakers think they can sign him. And I was talking to some executives yesterday about possible trades they might do or offer. And I was told they think they cam sign him as a free agent, so why should they give up anything?”
If they truly believe they can sign him then they shouldn’t trade for him. With that being said, it’s worth noting they thought they would Carmelo Anthony in 2014 and Kevin Durant in 2016 and we see how that turned out. If they want to play it safe, they should trade for Westbrook then get him to sign an extension.