Russell Westbrook Makes Huge Lakers Decision

BYAlexander Cole10.2K Views
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Russell Westbrook
The Lakers now have some clarity on the immediate future.

Russell Westbrook's first season with the Los Angeles Lakers was not what he was hoping for. The Lakers could say the exact same thing, as the expectations for Russ were extremely high. In the end, Russ had one of his worst statistical seasons, and it became crystal clear that he was just not a good fit for Frank Vogel's system.

Since then, the Lakers have changed coaches, and with Darvin Ham coming in to take things over, there is this real sense that Russ could be of great use to the team. There have still been a few trade rumors involving Russ, but at the end of the day, the likeliest option appears to be him staying with the Lakers for another year.

Russell Westbrook Makes Huge Lakers Decision
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In fact, it was reported today that Russ will be opting into his $47.1 million deal for next year. This scenario was pretty well guaranteed, however, it has now become official. This means that no matter what happens, Westbrook will be making bank in 2022 and 2023. 

Of course, this now makes it infinitely harder for the Lakers to trade Westbrook, as no one will want to take on that contract. He only has one more year left, and a $47 million rental is nonsensical.


Stay tuned to HNHH for more NBA updates throughout the free agency period.


About The Author
Alexander Cole is the current editor-in-chief of HotNewHipHop. He started at HotNewHipHop back in 2018 where he began as a Sports and Sneakers writer. It was here where he began to hone his craft, putting his journalism degree from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, to good use. Since that time, he has documented some of the biggest stories in the hip-hop world. From the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef to the disturbing allegations against Diddy, Alex has helped HotNewHipHop navigate large-scale stories as they happen. In 2021, he went to the Bahamas for the Big 3's Championship Game. It was here where he got to interview legendary figures like Ice Cube, Clyde Drexler, and Stephen Jackson. He has also interviewed other superstar athletes such as Antonio Brown, Damian Lillard, and Paul Pierce. This is in addition to conversations with social media provocateurs like Jake Paul, and younger respected artists like Kaycyy, Lil Tecca, and Jeleel!
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