By Gary Guillory

Will Russell Westbrook be able to help the Lakers bounce back this upcoming season?

With the 2022-23 season underway, the Los Angeles Lakers hope to bounce back after missing the playoffs last season. The Lakers held their annual media day at their training facility with Russell Westbrook at the center of attention regarding his future with the Lakers.

Senior NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski asked Westbrook “Do you feel wanted by the Los Angeles Lakers?” and Westbrook replied “I don’t need to [...] I need just to do my job. Whether I’m wanted or not doesn’t really matter [...] I think the most important thing is that I show up for work and I do the job as I've always done it."

Head Coach Darvin Ham and General Manager Rob Pelinka told reporters that they spoke with Westbrook during the offseason and they said Westbrook is willing to do anything it takes for the team to win. This raises the question of how Westbrook will approach this season and what his role will be.

Adrian Wojnarowski from ESPN asked Westbrook about the possibility of coming off the bench and not starting and he responded "I'm all-in on whatever it takes for this team to win. I'm prepared for whatever comes my way." Head Coach Darvin Ham was asked if Westbrook is going to be in the starting lineup via Twitter and he responded “We have several options.” Those other options could include Dennis Schröder, Patrick Beverley and Kendrick Nunn.

Westbrook’s teammates showed a ton of support and anticipation for this upcoming season. LeBron James told the press that he believes that Westbrook can succeed in LA and “It's going to be a great year for him” Buha reported via Twitter. Westbrook told the media that his offseason conversations with James and Anthony Davis was "Very beneficial. Being able to talk about and understand things we want to do, and how we want to do them.”

Does any of this mean that Westbrook is for sure staying on the Lakers roster for the entire season? Not quite. Rob Pelinka told reporters that the Lakers will do everything they can to improve the roster. Lakers fans on Twitter were confused when Pelinka said this because it was reported back in August that he was not willing to give up the Laker's two first-round picks to the Indiana Pacers for Myles Turner and Buddy Hield.

The Lakers could be able to trade Westbrook if they wanted to before the trade deadline on Feb. 9th, 2023. It seems like Pelinka is not worried about trading Westbrook at this time because of Ham’s confidence in improving Westbrook’s approach to the game. With Westbrook, LeBron James and Anthony Davis only playing 21 games last season Pelinka believes that Ham’s coaching style could help James (26 games missed) and Davis (42 games missed) stay healthy after both players missed a combined 68 games.

Westbrook’s future with the Lakers will be decided by his performance and how he approaches the coaching style of Darvin Ham. Westbrook’s future with the Lakers will also determine the future of his career and which teams are willing to sign him as a caliber player. Rob Pelinka told reporters that "Russell Westbrook is a great part of our team [...] I think Coach Ham is going to bring another level out of him."

Russell Westbrook’s future with the Lakers