Westbrook informed the Lakers on Tuesday that he'll exercise his $47.1 million player option for the 2022-23 season, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
Coming off a disastrous first season in Los Angeles in which he posted his lowest offensive rating (107.5) since his rookie season with Oklahoma City in 2008-09, Westbrook's decision to opt into the final season of his five-year, $206 million deal comes as little surprise. Since Westbrook's bloated contract will likely make trading him elsewhere a challenge, the Lakers appear set to keep him in the fold for the upcoming campaign with the hope that a coaching change can reinvigorate the eight-time All-Star. Westbrook and the Lakers would undoubtedly benefit from better health from his co-stars, as he, LeBron James and Anthony Davis played just 21 games together in 2021-22.
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Lakers' Russell Westbrook: Won't play in finale
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Westbrook (shoulder) will not play Sunday against the Nuggets, Bill Oram of The Athletic reports.
As expected, Westbrook, Anthony Davis (foot) and LeBron James (ankle) will all sit out the season finale while the team is out of playoff contention. It was a tough campaign for Westbrook and fantasy managers that invested in the point guard. His stats fell nearly across the board with averages of 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, 7.1 assists and 1.0 steals in 34.3 minutes.
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Lakers' Russell Westbrook: Out vs. Thunder
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Westbrook (shoulder) is out for Friday's matchup against the Thunder, Ryan Ward of LakersNation.com reports.
LeBron James (ankle) has already been deemed out for the year, but Westbrook, Anthony Davis (foot) and Carmelo Anthony (illness) still have a chance to play Sunday against the Nuggets. Friday, Malik Monk and Talen Horton-Tucker should again drive the offense.
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Lakers' Russell Westbrook: Sitting out Thursday
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Westbrook (shoulder) is out Thursday against the Warriors, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
With the Lakers eliminated from playoff contention, Westbrook will not play in the third-to-final game of the season. It remains to be seen if he, LeBron James (ankle) or Anthony Davis (foot) will appear in another game this season.
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Lakers' Russell Westbrook: Questionable Thursday
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Westbrook is questionable for Thursday's game against the Warriors due to right shoulder soreness.
Westbrook hasn't missed a game since Feb. 9, but it's unclear if he'll be available Thursday with the Lakers officially out of the playoff race. If he sits, D.J. Augustin and Austin Reaves would likely see increased run at point guard.
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Lakers' Russell Westbrook: Leads team with 28 points
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Westbrook totaled 28 points (10-20 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 6-8 FT), five rebounds and three assists in 34 minutes during Tuesday's 121-110 loss to the Suns.
Despite all the bad press surrounding Westbrook's season, he's actually improved quite a bit in the closing weeks, averaging 22.2 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists over his past 10 games. While those numbers come close to his days as a nightly triple-double threat, his struggles in the Lakers' system are obvious and well-documented. The Lakers are going to miss the playoffs with five future Hall-of-Famers as their usual starting five, and it's not a scheme that works well for Westbrook.
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Lakers' Russell Westbrook: Records double-double in loss
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Westbrook contributed 27 points (11-15 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 5-10 FT), 10 rebounds, seven assists, one block and two steals in 34 minutes during Sunday's 129-118 loss to the Nuggets.
Westbrook has shown marked improvement as the season draws to a close, but it appears to be a case of too little, too late. The future Hall-of-Famer excels when he plays the appropriate role in the Lakers' system but falters when he strays from acting as the team's primary facilitator. His typical off-the-ball play from his days with the Thunder and the Rockets hasn't served him well in Los Angeles. Nevertheless, the Lakers are obviously up against it in a final battle with the Spurs for a play-in spot, so expect Westbrook to keep humming over the final two games
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Lakers' Russell Westbrook: Can't lead Lakers to victory
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Westbrook finished Thursday's 122-109 loss to the Jazz with 24 points (9-18 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 6-10 FT), six rebounds and seven assists in 34 minutes.
LeBron James (ankle) and Anthony Davis (foot) both sat out the contest, leaving Westbrook to shoulder much of the offensive burden on his own. The veteran point guard led Los Angeles with 24 points and seven assists, but it wasn't enough to get the Lakers a much-needed win. James and Davis both have a shot to return Friday, which would significantly boost the team's chance at a win but lower Westbrook's projected statistical production.
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Lakers' Russell Westbrook: Solid line in Sunday's loss
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Westbrook accumulated 18 points (8-15 FG, 2-5 3Pt), seven rebounds, six assists and one steal across 32 minutes during Sunday's 116-108 loss to New Orleans.
The veteran guard continues his late-season turnaround, although it may not be enough to save the Lakers' season. Over the last eight games, Westbrook is averaging 18.5 points, 6.8 boards, 6.8 assists, 1.6 threes and 1.0 steals while shooting 50.0 percent from the floor and 39.4 percent from beyond the arc.
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Lakers' Russell Westbrook: Leads LeBron-less Lakers
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Westbrook finished with 24 points (10-20 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 2-5 FT), nine rebounds, eight assists and one steal across 33 minutes during Wednesday's 126-121 loss to the 76ers.
Westbrook was tasked with leading the Lakers offense in the absence of LeBron James (knee), and he helped Los Angeles stay competitive against a talented 76ers squad. The veteran point guard tied for the team lead with 24 points, and rounded out a strong overall line with nine boards and eight assists, though his numbers were somewhat tainted by his seven turnovers. Westbrook has been playing well of late, scoring 20-plus points in four straight contests and shooting 52.2 percent from the field over that stretch.
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Lakers' Russell Westbrook: Strong play continues
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Westbrook finished Monday's 131-120 victory over the Cavaliers with 20 points (7-14 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 4-7 FT), four rebounds, 11 assists and one steal over 35 minutes.
Westbrook has now logged three consecutive games with at least 20 points -- the first such occurrence since the end of January. Westbrook has averaged 21.3 points, 9.7 assists and 8.0 rebounds over his past three games. Featuring 50.0 percent shooting from beyond the arc over that span, Westbrook has returned to his clutch ways of late and is trending upward.
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Lakers' Russell Westbrook: Teases triple-double in loss
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Westbrook closed Saturday's 127-119 loss to the Wizards with 22 points (10-15 FG, 2-3 3Pt), 10 rebounds, eight assists, one block and one steal in 37 minutes.
Westbrook looked like his vintage self against the team he played for last season, falling just two assists shy of a triple-double. This was his second straight performance of exactly 22 points and 10 boards, and he has gone an unusually efficient 6-of-10 from three-point range during the pair of contests. Westbrook has struggled through a tough first campaign in Los Angeles, but he has a chance to change that narrative if he can continue his strong recent production down the stretch and into the postseason.
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Lakers' Russell Westbrook: Triple-doubles in overtime win
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Westbrook produced 22 points (8-18 FG, 4-7 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 10 rebounds, 10 assists and one steal over 41 minutes during Friday's 128-123 overtime victory over the Raptors.
Westbrook finished with just his third triple-double of the season Friday, helping the Lakers to a much-needed victory. The full Westbrook experience was on display down the stretch, capped off by a clutch basket from the perimeter with only 0.4 seconds remaining in regulation. While this was certainly a step in the right direction, fantasy managers would love to see some more consistency moving forward. If he can fix his efficiency issues, his overall value would see a significant boost.
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Lakers' Russell Westbrook: Ho-hum production in loss
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Westbrook notched 14 points (4-10 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 6-7 FT), eight rebounds, four assists and one steal over 35 minutes during Monday's 114-103 loss to the Raptors.
By most players' standards, Westbrook's final stat line was respectable, but his output of late has been far from his production over the course of his career. Despite being the Lakers' obvious second option in the absence of Anthony Davis (foot), Westbrook is averaging just 16.0 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.3 assists since the start of March, and those numbers are down to 10.7/4.3/5.0 over his past three games. Los Angeles' addition of Westbrook in the offseason has been criticized throughout the campaign, but the veteran point guard has done little to stem the blowback with his play on the court.
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Lakers' Russell Westbrook: Scores 30 in OT loss
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Westbrook totaled 30 points (11-21 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 7-8 FT), eight rebounds, six assists and one block across 40 minutes during Wednesday's 139-130 overtime loss to the Rockets.
It's the first time since late January that Westbrook has cracked the 30-point mark, and he did so in efficient fashion from the field and the charity stripe. Efficiency is hardly a regular occurrence at this point for the 33-year-old, but he'll continue to provide strong counting stats for fantasy managers down the stretch.
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Lakers' Russell Westbrook: Collects double-double in loss
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Westbrook finished with 17 points (5-14 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 7-13 FT), 10 rebounds and six assists over 35 minutes during Monday's 117-110 loss to the Spurs.
Westbrook's fantasy managers have already chalked up his tenure with the Lakers as a disappointment, but there's still some fight in this team despite all the negative press they've received. Though his days of prolific triple-double production are largely behind him, Westbrook is expected to remain a vital element in getting the Lakers to the postseason, for better or worse. He'll continue to struggle in the percentage categories, but so long as he's getting 30 minutes, the counting stats should be there for him.
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Lakers' Russell Westbrook: Plays well in big win
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Westbrook posted 20 points (9-17 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 1-2 FT), four rebounds and four assists in 32 minutes during Saturday's 124-116 win over the Warriors.
LeBron James (56 points, 10 rebounds) stole the show for Los Angeles on Saturday, but Westbrook served as an important sidekick, finishing second to his superstar teammate with 20 points. The veteran point guard did rack up five turnovers, but he played aggressively and made good decisions in crunch time, including a crafty assist that led to a Malik Monk three-pointer with just over three minutes remaining. Westbrook entered the contest without a 20-point game since Jan. 30, so this was a promising performance for him. He's drawn substantial criticism for his play so far this season, but it's clear that the Lakers will need Westbrook to play well if they are to snap out of a season-long slump that has them sitting in ninth place in the Western Conference.
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Lakers' Russell Westbrook: Records 17/8/3 line in loss
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Westbrook amassed 17 points (7-16 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 3-4 FT), eight rebounds and three assists in 29 minutes during Thursday's 132-111 loss to the Clippers.
Westbrook finished behind LeBron James (26 points) for team-high scoring honors, but the duo's efforts were far from enough to prevent the Clippers from completing a season sweep. The veteran point guard has been relatively quiet on offense for over a month, as he hasn't hit the 20-point mark in any game since Jan. 30. Westbrook continues to contribute across multiple categories, but it has been an overall underwhelming campaign for both the Lakers and him.
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Lakers' Russell Westbrook: Struggles mightily in loss
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Westbrook chipped in 12 points (5-17 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 2-2 FT), eight assists, six rebounds, two steals and one block over 38 minutes during Tuesday's 109-104 loss to the Mavericks.
Simply put, Westbrook has looked out of sorts recently. His defensive play has been virtually non-existent, and his woeful shooting continues to rear its head with the Lakers in desperate need for him to step up as a secondary scoring option behind LeBron James while Anthony Davis (foot) is out. For the Lakers to keep hope alive for earning a playoff spot, they desperately need Westbrook to turn back the clock and regain his footing as a top-flight scorer.
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Lakers' Russell Westbrook: Struggles yet again, Lakers fall
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Westbrook supplied 16 points (5-15 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 6-7 FT), six rebounds, one assist and one steal across 28 minutes during Sunday's 123-95 loss to the Pelicans.
Westbrook's nightmare season continued Sunday, as he looked completely lost on the offensive end, handing out just one assist for the second straight game. In Friday's loss to the Clippers, Westbrook managed to escape turnover-free, but he coughed the ball up seven times in 28 minutes Sunday. Over his last eight games, the former MVP is averaging just 13.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.1 assists while shooting 36.3 percent from the field (16.7% 3Pt).
