Russell Westbrook‘s future in Los Angeles is all but secure, and the New York Knicks want no part of what the former MVP has to offer.
Westbrook’s disastrous season has almost forced the hand of the LA Lakers‘ front office, but there seems to be no relief in sight for either. The value of Westbrook’s $47 million contract has significantly diminished owing to his performances this season.
Westbrook has averaged 18.2 points, 7.2 assists and 7.5 rebounds per game. Although Westbrook has the fifth-most turnovers per game (3.9) in the NBA, he still has his lowest average since 2013-14 (3.8).
Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka’s lack of a move at the trade deadline has infuriated many fans. But not trading Westbrook and their first-round picks for John Wall was probably a good decision.
While there have been reports of Pelinka being indifferent at the deadline, Jake Fischer, while speaking with Marc Stein, talked about how he tried to get Westbrook traded to the Knicks:
“I pitched the idea to Knicks people time and again going back to the deadline, and they have no interest,” Fischer said. “Everything I’ve heard is that New York is trying to grow this group as it is and mix and match a few parts and move forward.”
Westbrook’s recent performances have been better, but unless he has some heroic postseason performances, his trade value at $47 million will remain overvalued.
The New York Knicks are painfully subpar
The New York Knicks (32-42) are 11th in the Eastern Conference. With 8 games remaining, they will likely miss the postseason. They trail the 10th-place Atlanta Hawks (37-32) by five games.
The Knicks ended a seven-year playoff drought last year but exited in the first-round, thanks to Trae Young and the Hawks.
The Knicks have a fairly young core, led by RJ Barrett, and an experienced coach in Tom Thibodeau, but that has made a difference so far.
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Derrick Rose and Kemba Walker, who have been out for most of the season, are a vital part of the franchise, owing to the experience they bring to the table. Walker is sitting out while he recovers from a left knee injury, but he may not return to the team. If the Knicks make a run for the playoffs next year, it is anyone’s guess if forward Julius Randle and Barrett are good enough to see them through.