MAGIC Johnson says shipping out Russell Westbrook would be tough, and the Los Angeles Lakers could instead make an effort to make it work with the former MVP.
The Lakers went 33-49 this season, 11th in the Western Conference to fall short of the play-in.
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Westbrook averaged 18.5 points on 44.4 percent shooting, 7.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists in78 games. LeBron James played 56 games with averages of 30 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists, while Anthony Davis played 40 games with 23.2 points and 9.9 rebounds.
The Lakers have parted ways with Frank Vogel, who led the team to the NBA title in 2020, and have yet to hire a new coach.
Big offseason questions for the Lakers include whether the team should move Westbrook.
Will the Lakers move Westbrook?
A former Lakers president, Johnson told The Athletic the right coach can get the best out of the 33-year-old guard.
“Well, it only can work, if you’ve got the coach — the right coach. To me, it still comes down to, who’s the coach?” said Johnson.
“And, then, also, he’s on a one-year, $47 million (contract). Even if you offer him (in a trade), what are you, realistically, going to get back? I told them this too — you’re going to get some contracts you probably don’t want, and they’re going to go (chronologically) past his contract.
“You’ve really got to think about that. Are those players you’re going to get back, are they going to really help you? I said, talk to him. Whatever happened (this season), how can you make it better with Russell? How can you make it more comfortable? So they’ve got to figure all these things out. Take him out, take him to dinner or sit him down. How can this thing be better? ‘Cause if he’s going to be there, it’s got to be better.
“I guess whoever they name, that’s the first thing they’re going to have to do. And you can’t sit down once. You’re going to have to sit down for a week or two to try to figure that thing out,”
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