Despite all the speculation during the season and at the end of it, it seems unlikely that Russell Westbrook not be a Lakers player next season. The Californians seem to be projecting themselves with him, as confirmed Darvin Ham during his introductory press conference.
The playmaker has a $47 million player option, and according to Woj he should logically activate it. There is no question of a buyout and the only real option is a trade, but there too it gets stuck. Already because few teams would be interested, and those who would be would like compensation, including one or more draft picks to absorb his salary.
But according to Marc Stein, the Lakers would currently send a clear message on this subject: they would not want to transfer Westbrook if it costs them the slightest additional asset. No package, it’s Westbrook or nothing, and obviously that doesn’t even make the only teams able to absorb his salary want to. Even the Rockets, with whom there would have been preliminary discussions about a trade around John Wall and Westbrook, would like at least a first-round draft pick.
At present Westbrook therefore seems set to start the season at the Lakers, they who hope that it will go better under the direction of Darvin Ham, because they would have been very disappointed with the inability to Frank Vogel to maximize his presence on the floor this season, one of the reasons for his dismissal.
