Russell Westbrook Trade Rumors Have Taken a Surprising Turn

Heading into this season, Russell Westbrook's tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers seemed to be a ticking time bomb that would inevitably end in a trade out of La La Land. Things got even worse when the season started as both Westbrook and the Lakers got off to a horrendous start.
Fast forward to December and things have turned around for Westbrook and the Lakers. Ever since Westbrook was made the Lakers' sixth man he has averaged 15.2 points, 7.9 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game while the Lakers have gone 11-12 (compared to 0-4 prior).
Russell Westbrook’s play this past month has made it increasingly unlikely that he will be traded, a source tells @sam_amick.
— The Athletic NBA (@TheAthleticNBA) December 15, 2022
Since becoming the Lakers' sixth man on Oct. 28, he has averaged 15.2 points, 7.9 assists and 5.8 rebounds in 21 games.
More: https://t.co/e0Lbr2R9Lk pic.twitter.com/AT2t2y13s0
While those aren't exactly the numbers he was used to putting up, its still a well-rounded stat line and a great one for a sixth man. It seems, despite some initial troubles, Westbrook has accepted his new role and is thriving, along with the team as a whole.
The Lakers went from one of the worst records in the NBA to now approaching the play-in area of the standings. If things keep going this way, we should see the Lakers continue to climb in the standings.
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David Kaestle is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, David also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username davekaestle. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.
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