Lakers News: Westbrook Aware More Sacrifices Needed, Time Running Out

Russell Westbrook of the Los Angeles Lakers is a name to watch in the coming weeks as the NBA trade deadline nears. The NBA trade deadline is on Feb. 10, 2022.

Considering Westbrook is a former NBA Most Valuable Player and carries extraordinary skills that could help lead any team, there will be interest. But then again, there is money worth roughly $91 million that could spurn any move.

There are players like Ben Simmons or even John Wall who could make sense for the purple and gold. Jerami Grant and Myles Turner have been mentioned so anything is possible. But for teams who want to steer clear of the financial implications, some may opt to wait until the end of the current NBA season before making their move.

By that time, Westbrook will have $47 million left in his current deal. He does have a player option, something he may exercise if there is a better long-term offer pitched.

The possibilities are endless. But right now, Westbrook opts to focus on the task at hand and just continues to adjust.

“We’re all trying to figure it out as a team, as a unit, to be able to say, ‘Ok, how can we figure this out?’” Westbrook said to Sam Amick of The Athletic. “And I know I’m the one who has got to make the biggest sacrifice — and I understand that — so I’ve got to be able to figure out a way to be able to make the best out of it and make the best for this team and that’s it.”

But try as they can, the reality is that the Lakers have not found the right formula to integrate Westbrook and be the dominant team that most saw them to be.

After spending several months in a Lakers uniform already, Westbrook knows he can either sacrifice some more or accept his fate. The NBA playoffs are a different story and there is a chance that the real Russell Westbrook will prove his worth by that time.