Russell Westbrook’s fate in the NBA hangs in the balance. While it’s possible the Los Angeles Lakers will trade him to the Brooklyn Nets for Kyrie Irving in the coming weeks, it’s also likely that he will stay with the team in the final year of his $47.1 million contract. However, if he does get back to being the Lakers’ point guard, Westbrook could spend more time on the bench if he doesn’t live up to expectations.
According to The Athletic’s Jovan Buha, coach Darvin Ham will have more power this season to bench Westbrook late in games, as long as he can’t help the team, as happened last season. .
Lakers head coach Darvin Ham will have more power to bench Russell Westbrook down the stretch of games, sources tell @jovanbuha.
Former head coach Frank Vogel did so a few times last season.
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— The Athletic NBA (@TheAthleticNBA) August 3, 2022
The report also explains that Westbrook could also be left out of the starting lineup if he doesn’t perform as expected. With Ham, reward will be given to those who deserve it, putting aside egos in a season in which the Lakers are forced to advance to the playoffs.
“I’ve never had a problem with any of my coaches, but I don’t know if they had a problem with me,” Westbrook told The Orange County Register.
“Russell is one of the best players that has been in the NBA and he still has gas in his tank. I’m going to treat him like all the players on the roster,” Ham warned at a press conference.
