For as long as he remains a Laker, there will be an awkward dynamic when Russell Westbrook takes the court in the purple and gold. The front office’s consistent shopping of the guard throughout this past offseason gave a pretty clear indication of the team’s desire not to have him on the roster.
But without a deal being reached, Westbrook is back to being a part of a new-look Lakers team under first-year head coach Darvin Ham. Monday marked his and the team’s first appearance of the 2022-23 season as the Lakers fell to the Kings in the preseason opener, one in which Westbrook played well enough in 15 minutes of action.