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Is it a mistake for the Lakers to bet everything on Russell Westbrook?
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L-R: Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook and LeBron James will make "Big 3" in the Los Angeles Lakers. /CFP

L-R: Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook and LeBron James will make "Big 3" in the Los Angeles Lakers. /CFP

The Los Angeles Lakers traded Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and their No. 22 pick for this year's NBA Draft with the Washington Wizards for Russell Westbrook and two remote second-round picks (2024 and 2028).

The No. 22 pick was used to select Isaiah Jackson who was then sent to the Indiana Pacers.

LeBron James found himself part of another "Big 3" at the age of 36 years old.

Born in Long Beach, California in 1988, Westbrook came to play for LA at the age of 32 years old.

Both the team and fans of Lakers would have been crazy for the arrival of Westbrook who was named the NBA MVP in 2017 and averaged triple-double in four seasons.

Russell Westbrook (#4) of the Washington Wizards penetrates in Game 3 of the NBA Eastern Conference first-round playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 29, 2021. /CFP

Russell Westbrook (#4) of the Washington Wizards penetrates in Game 3 of the NBA Eastern Conference first-round playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 29, 2021. /CFP

However, they had good reasons not to do so in 2021. First, the salary of Westbrook, James and Anthony Davis for the 2021-22 season is $44.2 million, $41.2 million and $35.4 million. The salary cap is expected to be about $112.4 million. The Lakers still have to decide if they want to keep Alex Caruso, Horton Tucker, Wesley Matthews, Ben McLemore and Alfonzo McKinnie.

After that, the team can only offer a mini-mid-level deal that starts at about $5.89 million in the first year to Andre Drummond. As for the rest of the enhancing task, the Lakers only have veteran minimum contracts or the sign-and-trade deal of Dennis Schroder.

The biggest problem of the team in the past two years has been lack of depth. They relied extremely on the performance of their star players to win the game, In the trade for Westbrook, the Laker gave up two of their best role players – Harrell and Kuzma – who can work on their own.

Unlike those two, Caldwell-Pope does not hold the ball too much, but he's the Lakers' only one who could make more than one triple at 40+percent rate per game. The team's spacing was already one of the worst in the league and they just lost one of their best shooters.

Russell Westbrook (#4) of the Washington Wizards shoots in Game 3 of the NBA Eastern Conference first-round playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers at Capital One Arena, May 29, 2021. /CFP

Russell Westbrook (#4) of the Washington Wizards shoots in Game 3 of the NBA Eastern Conference first-round playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers at Capital One Arena, May 29, 2021. /CFP

For years, it has been agreed that James could lead a team to the NBA Finals with enough shooters around him. No one saw it coming that James himself became the best shooter of his team at the end of his career.

To be fair, Westbrook could be very helpful sharing offensive load off James' shoulders, especially in the regular season, with his energy, rim-charging and fast break driving ability. Considering James' age and all the injuries he suffered last season, he will need to build up more strength for the post season.

Westbrook has been a good facilitator for big men as well. His pick and roll plays with Davis will be something to watch.

Nonetheless, what Westbrook can bring to the Lakers does not necessarily outweigh his damage to the team's offense. His 3-point rate was 31.5 and 25 percent in the regular season and playoffs respectively. Westbrook already learnt to give the ball to his teammate, namely Bradley Beal, in back-court offense. But that did not discourage the opponents' defenders from trapping Beal while leaving Westbrook painfully open from the arc.

Russell Westbrook (#4) of the Washington Wizards shoots in Game 5 of the NBA Eastern Conference first-round playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., June 2, 2021. /CFP

Russell Westbrook (#4) of the Washington Wizards shoots in Game 5 of the NBA Eastern Conference first-round playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., June 2, 2021. /CFP

More importantly, the Milwaukee Bucks' success last season will give more teams reason and courage to close in around the paint on defense. Such situation will lead to high requirement of teams' middle-range shooting. But Westbrook in that area was 39 and 32 percent in the regular season and playoffs last season.

If anything can give Lakers fans some hope in the longer future, the contracts of both Westbrook and James will come to an end in 2023 summer. By then, the purple and gold should be able to have approximately $80 million of salary space to build a new franchise around 30-year-old Davis.

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