For the last year and a half, Los Angeles Lakers fans felt their team was being held down by the play of Russell Westbrook.
Despite helping the team by pushing the pace, attacking the basket and getting others easy baskets, his lack of reliable outside shooting, his tendency to commit careless turnovers and his declining athleticism made him a depreciating asset for the Purple and Gold.
Nearly two weeks ago, the Lakers finally pulled the plug on the Westbrook experiment while getting good value for him. They dealt him, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Damian Jones and draft compensation in a three-team trade that netted them D’Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley.
Upon receiving him, the Utah Jazz bought out Westbrook, and he will now be joining the Los Angeles Clippers.
After finalizing a contract buyout with the Utah Jazz, nine-time All-Star guard Russell Westbrook plans to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers, his agent Jeff Schwartz of @excelbasketball tells ESPN. pic.twitter.com/OjZ0Mkuz5x
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 20, 2023
Over the last three years, the Clippers have been a perennial disappointment despite possessing one of the best star tandems around in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. A big reason has been their lack of a legitimate high-level point guard.
Westbrook may not be the solution to that need, but he should, at times, give them a bit of a boost.
