Like last summer, when we low balled Caruso and lost him for nothing, we have entered the “Rob and Jeanie playing cutesy-wootsey with the season” territory. This has been the Laker MO since the banner year. We startled dismantling, player by player, a defensive focused team with dynamic size and scoring. Mainly because we thought Danny Green wouldn’t age well, that Caruso could be replaced by an aged and broken Trevor Ariza and that KCP and Kuzma’s impact could easily be replicated by Carmelo Anthony and any number of vet minimum players. To no surprise to this fan each of those has turned out to be the absolutely and unequivocally wrong move. Russell Westbrook is but the most expensive and public figure of that massive miscalculation. Now we have a disgruntled 47 million dollar player nobody wants. Nobody. Not for cap relief. Not for two middling 1st round draft picks two years out. Nobody. There is no shortage of theories and dreamy trade scenarios being bandied about. In fact that started back before the deadline when the same 4 assets the Lakers are peddling now were peddled with bo interest back at the trade deadline last season. The value of Nunn, THT, Russ and the 2 draft picks 5 and 7 years out respectively is unchanged. The value is low, really low. Like nobody is interested low. The thing about trades is both parties need to agree so I long ago tuned out every single one-sided mostly benefits the Lakers deal. Pie in the sky fantasy isn’t the pathway out of this. Rob and Co. need to embrace reality. Like yesterday. I think the Lakers have at least had conversations about including all of those assets in some potential trades. I think the return on that has not been palatable. Whether it be the size of Russ’s deal, the fact that Nunn was sidelined by a bone bruise for an entire season, the way THT’s deal is structured (and the low impact he has shown to possess) or the fact our offerable draft picks are quite a ways out there has been zero actual movement beyond the chatter generated by media outlets and blogs. As always I can kind of forgive fans for indulging in whimsy and wonder, they’re not paid to run the Lakers. But Rob had to have known at least a portion of what is now evident as far back as last March or he is inept. If I can see the writing on the wall a team worth billions should be able to, as well. The miscalculation isn’t really in the worth of our assets, though. Due diligence is one thing. But, unlike Tom’s post signaling success by a front office when they hadn’t done anything but sign low hanging free agent fruit, I think the Lakers gravely underestimated how their two-faced and double-handed approach would effect the fraying relationship with the player who is actually on the team right now: Russell Westbrook. Whether it’s LeBron’s passive aggressive approach to this situation on social media (he posts weekly “joke” posts on Instagram in which he puts a Russ for some other player and calls it “Would you like to see this happen? Your battery % is the chance it will) or the public nature in which the hunt for a Russ trade has played out it’s small wonder, to me anyhow, that Russ is seemingly pissed. Unlike the Lakers, at least up to this point, Russ himself has remained silent. Only his agent’s semi-classless take down job on his way out after a parting of ways provides any clues into how Westbrook feels. However, like Jeannie’s tweet which I felt (and she later confirmed) was taken wildly out of context, the same may be happening with Russ and his agent. We don’t have any real facts to go on but I do think the Lakers are treading on eggshells. The fact is that the market for Russell is and has always been very small, if it ever really existed. You can’t endlessly shoo him for every dude selling fruit from a cart at a park and expect him to show up chipper and ready to ball. There is some , or should be anyhow, level of respect for his game and his accomplishments. That doesn’t give him license to do whatever he wants but you will be absolutely wasting any chance ti. I’m Pete if there’s a $47 million dollar player who you don’t play. Jeannie will not abide that, Russ will not be sent home to pout, he’ll pout on the bench or in the court. He will be around the team, any suggestions contrary to that are, to put it politely, absurd. The fact that LeBron and AD aren’t pleased as punch should be a lesson for them to take home and marinate on. Let the GM do their job, don’t get involved unless you’re sure you want the responsibility. Can’t have it both ways. The bottom line is we’re a couple months away from everyone sucking it up and putting their pride to the side a little bit, something pro athletes are totally great at doing. Should be interesting. Coach Ham is going to have his work cut out for him.
It’ll Sink In Soon
By 
July 17, 2022 7 Comments
In case you can’t tell from the rant above I’m pissed. Not because I expected a trade to happen because I never really did. But that people paid to be better than me at this seem too obtuse to realize that there will be pretty much one shot for the Lakers to trade Russ and not pay for the doing. That shot is (was since it’s basically a blown chance now) was to bring Russ back with open arms (including James and Davis) and trying to rehab his value for the trade deadline. His deal will have the most value it can have on that day, if he plays well enough up to then a team can talk itself into living with him on the roster for a couple months. Rob has to go after this. He’s not running a master class in anything but cowing the a singular sports agency, is terrible at evaluating talent that you bring in via free agency and the only thing I give him any credit at all for at this point is not screwing up the draft by opposing what the scouts recommend we use our meager draft assets for. There has not been one single move that panned out after we’ve won. Not one. It’s almost as if we never win it at all. This is how bad jokes start. Someone needs to get in Rob’s face and tell him to stop fussing over his hair and get to &@$%ing work.
You do know that stream of consciousness does have paragraphs? Seriously impossible to read.
So be it.
Wow, if we are going to be judged on post structure, I’m going to have to take better care when I post😂 By the way Jamie, I had no problem reading it.
Well put Jamie. I wonder if Robb would have a job now if he wasn’t Kobe’s BFF. The way the season is shaping up that won’t be enough to save him. Every thing has sprung from one fundamental mistake. Robb’s failure to understand that as long as LeBron plays he will have the ball in his hands. It’s a nice thought about saving him but it will never happen. Robb traded a first rounder and Danny for Dennis, a ball dominate guard. Didn’t work. Then he traded 2 more players from the NBA’s best defense for Russ and that didn’t work. LeBron needs a guard that can shoot and play off the ball. He finally got it right with Nunn but unfortunately he was hurt. You can make a lot of mistakes as a GM but not understanding your players and what fits and doesn’t fit is unforgivable.
In short, no one wants Russ. Russ would rather be paid to sit than deal with constant rumors and (well earned) disparagement, but most importantly, no one wants Russ and his outlandish remaining contract. Russ, draft picks a million years from now, Talentless tucker, and won’t play Nunn are not enticing enough to get anyone to bite. I would rather lose Kyrie for nothing than take on that trash heap in trade. At some point this whole “We can’t lose an asset for nothing” thinking has got to shift to, “WTF do we need this losing player for all this money.” Ayton comes to mind – If he comes out lazy and unmotivated as expected, now you’re paying 35mil for a big stiff who has no place in the modern NBA game.
Wow, what a post!! Great job, Jamie.