Even though a change was certainly needed, the Los Angeles Lakers ended up staying pat at the NBA trade deadline.
With limited assets and operating from a position of weakness, the Lakers had no real way of making a move without overpaying. Los Angeles is expected to turn to the buyout market to improve the roster, with players like Dennis Schroder to keep an eye on.
Russell Westbrook survived the trade deadline and said he is focused on helping the Lakers get back on the right track. “I’m looking forward to finishing into the [All-Star] break, getting ready to make a splash run and make sure that we are moving in the direction that we need to as a team collectively and connected, making sure that we are trying to put our best foot forward as a collective group.”
As far as his message to the rest of the team, Westbrook wants the group to come together and play better basketball. “Just try to get connected, try and make sure that we’re doing things we know we can do at a high level and collectively doing it together and playing the right way, playing good basketball,” Westbrook said. “That’s all you can do at this point. Your record and all that stuff doesn’t mean much like I’ve mentioned before. As long as we’re playing how we want to play towards the end of the year, that’s most important.”
It has been hard for Westbrook and the rest of the Los Angeles roster to gel because of injuries, but with only 26 games remaining during the 2021-22 season, they are running out of time to make any sort of meaningful run. It will be an uphill climb, and Westbrook will need to play up to his third-star billing if the Lakers have a shot of turning things around.
Russell Westbrook says he is aligned with LeBron James and Anthony Davis
With James and Davis healthy, the Lakers still have a shot at making a run, and Westbrook emphasized his goals are aligned with his costars. “We all got the same goal,” Westbrook said. “We all have one goal, and that’s to win the championship and with that comes responsibilities on all our hands and responsibilities of each individual in our locker room, coaching staff included, that we all have to uphold, find ways to be able to do that as the season goes along and that’s where we’re at.”
