Russell Westbrook is finally parting ways with the Lakers

After what has seemed like years of rumours, Russell Westbrook is officially leaving Los Angeles. This offseason, the Lakers superstar was connected to virtually every team in the world. However, a fresh potential suitor has now surfaced, and negotiations seem to be moving swiftly. With the Lakers, Westbrook endured a turbulent NBA season in 2021–2022. The former league MVP had one of his poorest seasons, scoring 18.5 points per game on sub 30% of his three-point attempts.

This sparked discussions about the Lakers cutting ties with Westbrook. The initial connection between Westbrook and Kyrie Irving's relocation to Brooklyn was made by ESPN's Brian Windhorst. However, that rapidly disintegrated, and Irving stayed with the Nets. Then some made the assumption that Westbrook may be acquired. Bill Simmons of The Ringer even said that a buyout may put an end to his career.