After today's loss to the Grizzlies, the Lakers are back in the tenth place in the West, but this does not mean that they have come ashore safely, in fact, the Remaining Schedule of the Lakers is very difficult, 5 of their next 7 opponents are playoff teams, and James's injury is not clear.
There is no doubt that the Lakers have failed this season, and they were once regarded as the favorite to win the championship at the beginning of the season, but now they may miss the playoffs. Westbrook is widely regarded as the culprit of the Lakers' poor record, and the 9th All-Star has been slow to find his position, and his performance on both offensive and defensive ends has been somewhat disappointing.
Today, NBA reporter Brian Windhorst talked about The Prospects for Westbrook's career with the Lakers in his solo podcast. He believes the Lakers should contact the other 29 teams as soon as the free market gate begins this summer to exchange any chips that can be exchanged before proceeding to the next step. In his opinion, despite Westbrook's poor form, his expiring contract could impress some teams.
"Going into the offseason, I think the most important thing for the Lakers to do is contact the other 29 teams and say, 'What are you willing to pay for Westbrook's expiring contract?'" We're willing to take back the payroll space, and in this deal you don't get a player, you get an expired contract. Brian Windhorst said.
However, NFL legend guard Dominique Foxworth is not optimistic about Westbrook's trading prospects, arguing that Westbrook's $47 million salary may deter other teams, and no team that wants to win will bring the 9th All-Star to the team.
"The scary thing is, who would buy Russell for $47 million? I think the only thing russell can impress at the moment is to sell more tickets, as a player, he's not so valuable, his value is so low that I can't imagine a team willing to bring him into the team and pursue success. For a great player, that's obviously a bit pathetic. Dominique Foxworth said.
In any case, an indisputable fact is that whether or not we can get rid of the burden of Wei Shao is related to the prospects of the Lakers next season. If you bring the problem to next season, whether it's for stars like James, Davis, or for the Lakers, it's not a good thing.