Russell Westbrook was an integral part of the Los Angeles Lakers until February this year. He joined the squad in 2021. And before the Lakers acquired him, Russell had been a legend for the Oklahoma City Thunder. He has been a one-time MVP and nine-time All-Star after playing for more than ten years for the Thunder. But when he came to the Lakers, Westbrook became a liability. The 34-year-old point guard apparently slowed down a lot with age, as many fans and critics believe. He was also not performing at his best. And the only reason Russell was there in the lineup was by virtue of his name.
Russell Westbrook was famous for his prolific scoring in his days for the Thunder. But with the Lakers, he was not contributing enough to scoring, and even his rebounds and assists were not that significant. Although, the front office had the plan to build the team around the three superstars – LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook. But Westbrook did not perform as well as expected. Hence, it was a necessity to trade him. However, it took time, but the Lakers finally traded him to the Utah Jazz on a three-team deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Later, Westbrook signed with Los Angeles Clippers. Hence, he stayed in Los Angeles anyhow. And looks like after witnessing all this drama, Damian Lillard of the Trailblazers has no intention of following Westbrook’s footsteps to join the Lakers.
Damian Lillard Prefers Heat Over Lakers Due To The Russell Westbrook Episode
After what happened with Russell Westbrook, many players have expressed their wish to never play for the Los Angeles Lakers. The problem was Westbrook liked controlling the ball and leading his team in scoring. But due to the James-Davis duo, Westbrook did not get control of the ball that much. That’s what players like Damian Lillard, who has a possibility to transfer to the Lakers this year, are afraid of. Lillard plays for the Portland Trail Blazers, but if he had to leave, then he would never want to go to the Lakers. Lillard named Miami Heat and Brooklyn Nets as a possible destination move.
Damian Lillard brought up Russell Westbrook’s situation with the Lakers when talking about his own future:
— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) June 8, 2023
“Then they got Russ coming off the bench like he’s not a Hall-of-Famer… Man, that’s Russell Westbrook. Like what?”
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That’s what Lillard talked about on the podcast The Last Stand with Brian Custer. Apparently, he does not want the same treatment from a new team as the Lakers treated Russell Westbrook. Damian Lillard will turn 33 in the next month. That’s the same age Westbrook was right before his first season with the Lakers. There are more similarities between Westbrook and Lillard. Both have played for a single team for more than ten years since they debuted in the NBA. As Russell played for Oklahoma City Thunder for 11 years, Damian has been playing for Portland Trail Blazers for 11 years as well. Hence, the Trail Blazers must plan to keep Lillard in the offseason, as he will be a free agent.
Miami Heat May Look For A PG Like Lillard In The Offseason
Citing the example of Russell Westbrook in the Los Angeles Lakers, Damian Lillard has ruled out the possibility of moving to LA. But he might be happy with the Heat as it will give him a chance to win the championship, finally coming to the fag end of his career. On the other hand, Miami Heat may as well want to buy Lillard as a point guard if Gabe Vincent chooses to go elsewhere in the offseason as a free agent.
The trio – Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Damian Lillard might give the Heat another shot at the title in the future. The Miami Heat is already in this year’s final miraculously after finishing as the eighth seed of the Eastern Conference. However, after four games, they are trailing 1-3 against the top seed of the Western Conference, the Denver Nuggets.
