Is Russell Westbrook's NBA career in jeopardy?
There is no sugarcoating it. The Los Angeles Lakers and Russell Westbrook marriage has been a disaster.
The Lakers are currently ninth in the Western Conference standings and Westbrook has been a less than ideal fit on the court, averaging the fewest points (18.1 PPG) since his third season in the NBA.
With the experiment failing, it is believed that the Lakers and Westbrook have a mutual interest in moving in separate directions this offseason.
But even with Westbrook struggling for the majority of the season, FOX Sports NBA analyst Ric Bucher still commends the guard for showing up and giving his all on a nightly basis.
"Russell Westbrook is still trying, and I can't say that for every member of the Lakers roster at this point," Bucher said on "Undisputed." "I'm going to at least give him that much respect."
Lakers, Westbrook interested in parting ways?
But playing hard only goes so far, and with Westbrook's numbers being down across the board this season, Jason McIntyre doesn't just see this as the end for him in Los Angeles, but possibly in the NBA itself.
"When you can't make shots, and the athletic ability starts to wane, what's the future?" McIntyre asked. "What are you bringing in Russell Westbrook for?"
Whether this is the very end of Westbrook's career remains to be seen, but it hasn't been pretty in Los Angeles. And if it is, he has had a historic career that includes nine All-Star Games, nine All-NBA teams, a league MVP award in 2017 and membership in the NBA's 75-year anniversary team.
But it seems destined that the end is near for him in Los Angeles.
