The Oklahoma City Thunder was in the process of trading Russell Westbrook, but Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka talked them out of it. What kind of reasoning did he use?

The “lakers players” is a team that has been struggling for years. The Lakers have had some notable acquisitions in the last year such as Russell Westbrook and Rajon Rondo. In an interview, Rob Pelinka gave a surprisingly reasonable explanation for why the Lakers acquired these two players.

The LeBron James and Anthony Davis-led Los Angeles Lakers spent the summer retooling their squad. The front office’s efforts were highlighted by the acquisition of Russell Westbrook, an All-Star point guard. Rob Pelinka, the Lakers’ general manager, recently explained why the team opted to acquire Westbrook.

Russell Westbrook was acquired by the Lakers in a trade.

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After a dismal first-round playoff defeat, the Lakers embarked on a hectic summer focused on roster restructuring.

Los Angeles started by getting Westbrook, which required Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Montrezl Harrell to be moved. He had only spent one season with the Washington Wizards and Houston Rockets after leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder, thus it was his fourth club in as many years.

The entrance of Russell Westbrook altered the dynamic in Los Angeles, which was looking to capture its 18th NBA championship. Furthermore, general manager Rob Pelinka has now provided clarification as to why the Lakers acquired the great guard.

Rob Pelinka provided an eminently logical justification for the Lakers’ acquisition of Russell Westbrook.

Rob Pelinka revealed two items on the current episode of Backstage Lakers, which had previously only been hinted at:

1) The club made the Russ trade/added other ballhandlers in order to reduce LeBron’s wear and strain. 2) They believe they will be unable to assess the squad without the presence of Nunn and Ariza. twitter.com/hYuxdXfInR

December 20, 2021 — Harrison Faigen (@hmfaigen)

The Lakers had a busy summer, which included a blockbuster deal for former NBA MVP Russell Westbrook.

Los Angeles was said to be interested in bringing in a top guard to assist with ball handling and serve as a key offensive impact. General manager Rob Pelinka said on a recent edition of Spectrum Sportsnet’s Backstage: Lakers that the organization was looking for a dynamic backcourt player to help relieve the strain on LeBron James.

“Obviously, we made a significant deal for Russell Westbrook to add another playmaker in sort of developing the roster in the summer,” Pelinka said. “We realized we couldn’t depend on LeBron [James] as our team’s main motor as he approached Year 19 and eventually Year 20 in the NBA. So we made that deal because we really wanted to round out the squad with a mix of flexibility, shooters, and defenders.”

Pelinka’s words reveal that the 33-year-old is a long-term component of the equation, as he alluded to James’ contract’s last two years, which extends through the 2022-23 season. Meanwhile, Westbrook has a player option for about $47 million for next season, which he is unlikely to decline.

He’s the right guy for the job since he’s a proven offensive force who can transform the game with his scoring and passes. It’s taking him some time to find out how to play with James, but he’s becoming a more consistent and trustworthy piece of the jigsaw.

Pelinka’s comments don’t add much to the conversation, but they do clear up why the Lakers made the transaction.

Russell Westbrook must perform better for the Lakers.

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The Lakers were well aware that the opening few months of the regular season would be difficult.

Due to lingering ailments, the team’s troubles have intensified, preventing the roster from really gelling. Because of James’ lengthy absence, Westbrook and others were forced to play positions they would not have played if the four-time league MVP was on the court.

With Anthony Davis set to be out for the next month, the star guard will be forced to play a larger offensive role. Westbrook is more than capable of shoulder the burden, but he won’t have that obligation once Davis returns.

Meanwhile, the Lakers are trying to establish consistency owing to injuries and COVID-19-related roster changes. Although most of the regular season is still ahead of us, the road ahead remains difficult owing to those variables.

Westbrook must produce solid play to keep the boat afloat and, more significantly, to keep James from overworking himself. Los Angeles already places a heavy reliance on the 17-time All-Star, who is now in his 19th season, making Westbrook’s performance even more crucial.

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RELATED: Anthony Davis Revealed a Scary Detail About His Knee Sprain, Which Threatens to Derail the Lakers’ Season

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Rob Pelinka, the Lakers General Manager, gave a surprisingly reasonable explanation for why the Lakers acquired Russell Westbrook. The reason given was that they were looking to add more firepower to their team and Westbrook is one of the best scorers in the league. Reference: rob pelinka.

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