With about a month to go before the start of the training camp, the Los Angeles Lakers are continuing their efforts to trade Russell Westbrook.
A Kyrie Irving trade is all but impossible right now, which leads many to think the most likely deal involving the 2017 league MVP would be one involving the Indiana Pacers.
It has been rumored that a Westbrook-to-Indiana trade would net the Lakers Buddy Hield and Myles Turner, two players who could immediately help them.
Any team that would trade for Westbrook would likely release him and buy out the contract, which begs the question of whether another team would subsequently pick him up.
Bill Simmons thinks that in that scenario, Westbrook’s NBA career would be over.
Via Lakers Daily:
“Simmons offered his assessment on his podcast by noting that Westbrook is not a fit for either a rebuilding team or a championship contender.
“‘If that trade did happen…I think he’s out of the league,’ Simmons said. I’m not saying that in the Skip Bayless way. I just think he’s the rare kind of guy where if you’re a tanking team or a lottery team, why would you bring him in? All he’s gonna do is try to play 40 minutes a game and put up stats and make you more competitive.’
‘If you’re a playoff team, I can’t think of a playoff team that he would be additive to. He’s not gonna want to come off the bench.’”
It would be a sad ending for a player that not too long ago was thought pretty highly of around the NBA.
Prior to last season, Westbrook had averaged a triple-double in four out of five seasons, a truly phenomenal accomplishment, and he is just about a lock to become a Hall of Famer.
However, his inability or unwillingness to adjust his game as he has gotten older or to adapt to a team like the Lakers, where he was not the best player, will ultimately be his fatal flaw.
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