Originally Posted by
Coniferous
2016 Thunder - well we lost Durant, but we still can build around Westbrook. Maybe that'll work.
Voiceover: It did not work.
2019 Rockets: Hey we can get Westbrook for the low, low price of Chris Paul and 2 first round picks? He's not a great fit for our offense, but maybe that'll work!
Voiceover: In fact, it did not work.
2020 Wizards: We can upgrade from Wall to Westbrook, and all it takes is a lottery protected first rounder! Maybe that'll work.
Voiceover: Obviously, it did not work.
2021 Lakers: We can get Westbrook, a proven star, by giving up a few rotation players! Maybe that'll work.
Voiceover: uhh... yeah it's not working.
While I joke, this Lakers trade could be looked back on as an enormous, contender sabotaging blunder. Westbrook fits with the Lakers the way oil fits with water; meanwhile the 3 players the Lakers gave up (Kuzma, KCP, and Harrell) are numbers 1, 3 and 4 in minutes on a 5-2 Wizards team. Not that they are good, but Westbrook makes the team worse when he's on the floor. It's amazing that people keep taking chances on this guy. It seems like every single team that has traded for him would undo the trade in retrospect (except maybe the Wizards, but only because they got so much from the Lakers).
So far, the Lakers have a net rating of +5 when Westbrook sits, and -3 when he plays. Ugh.