The Los Angeles Lakers and Russell Westbrook were destined to fail.
Rob Pelinka never wanted him in the first place, as he had a deal in place to land Buddy Hield before LeBron James and Anthony Davis urged him to get Westbrook instead.
The early returns of that partnership were disastrous, and Frank Vogel failed to make the most of his talents.
Westbrook was the team’s scapegoat, and the fans were ruthless to him and his family, so it all pointed out at his departure in the off-season.
Then, coach Darvin Ham convinced him to come off the bench, and he took his career back from the ground in a Sixth Man role, helping the Lakers stay in contention while Davis was out with an injury.
However, that wasn’t enough for the Lakers to keep him around, so they finally moved him to the Utah Jazz.
Now, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes, he’s expected to be bought out by Utah, which will allow him to become an unrestricted free agent.
Should that be the case, then the Chicago Bulls would be one of the biggest suitors for his services, which doesn’t strike as a surprise at all.
The Chicago Bulls are interested in signing Russell Westbrook should he secure a buyout from the Utah Jazz, league sources tell @NBAonTNT, @BleacherReport.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) February 9, 2023
The Bulls have been craving a starting-caliber point guard since Lonzo Ball fell with an injury last season, and bringing in Westbrook on a low-budget contract would be massive for their aspirations.
Of course, Westbrook will most likely draw attention from other teams as well, so he’ll have the final say in the next step in his career.
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