Lakers Trade Rumors: Russell Westbrook Not Interested In LA Lakers, Prefers OKC
Lakers trade rumors about Russell Westbrook just took a big hit. New LA Lakers trade rumors reveal that Westbrook is quite happy with the Oklahoma City Thunder. A report from CBS Sports quotes what Westbrook had to say when he was asked if he would like to play for the Lakers. Westbrook said, “Nah, I like where I am now. Oklahoma City is a great place for me.” This could possibly bring an end to all the chatter about Westbrook and Kevin Durant wanting out of OKC to play for the LA Lakers.
As previously reported by the Inquisitr, NBA sources were stating that a major goal for the LA Lakers was to acquire Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. There were trade rumors suggesting the team would try hard to sign Durant in the offseason and then convince the Oklahoma City Thunder to trade Westbrook. There were also rumors of a sign-and-trade scenario, where Durant would re-sign with OKC only to be dealt to a team waiting for him. That could be a number of teams during the NBA offseason.
LA Lakers trade rumors involving either Kevin Durant or Russell Westbrook seemed a bit far-fetched before, but this could be an indication that it may never get off the ground. If Westbrook is telling the truth, and doesn’t want to play for the Lakers, then he will be able to remain with OKC for most of his NBA career. The combination of Durant and Westbrook has brought a lot of success to the city, even if they haven’t found a way to win the franchise a title just yet.
So far in the 2015-16 NBA season, OKC has a 40-14 record. That’s good for third place in the Western Conference right now and will get the team a first-round playoff series at home. The team is still way behind the San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors in the standings, but has been playing really well as of late. OKC has won eight of its last 10 games, and now has a commanding 13 game lead over the Portland Trail Blazers in the Northwest Division.
Russell Westbrook is having another impressive statistical season for the Thunder. Through 54 games, he is averaging 24.1 points, 10.0 assists, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.3 steals per game. Those are numbers that have him in the conversation for NBA MVP. If it wasn’t for Stephen Curry, Westbrook would likely even be the favorite to win the award for the first time. Those numbers are also a good indication of why the front office in Oklahoma City wants him to remain on the roster.
There are likely still going to be more LA Lakers trade rumors that include Westbrook, no matter what he states publicly at this time. It stems from an admission that his favorite team growing up was the Lakers. Then he went to college at UCLA, providing him with an immediate fan base if he ever did go back to playing in California. Right now, he is saying all the right things and it could also be viewed as playing the game he needs to play to keep everyone in OKC happy.
The 2016 NBA trade deadline hits on Thursday, February 18, giving teams just a few more days to negotiate deals. While it is highly unlikely that Russell Westbrook will be involved in any LA Lakers trades, it is also very possible that the team could look to move a few veterans in order to collect draft picks. Players on the Lakers roster who could be traded over the next week include Roy Hibbert, Lou Williams, Nick Young, and Brandon Bass.
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