Russell Westbrook, the former NBA Most Valuable Player, remains a free agent, prompting discussions about his unexpected status in the league. Enes Freedom, a former teammate, has offered insights into Westbrook’s challenges, particularly during his time with the Los Angeles Lakers. Freedom stated, “He can still play in the NBA. It’s crazy he cannot find a team.”
Freedom highlights the difficulties Westbrook faced after joining the Lakers ahead of the 2021-2022 NBA season. He noted that playing alongside a prominent figure like LeBron James can complicate a player’s career, especially if the team does not achieve success. “It all started with Lakers. Look at his career—as soon as he went to the Lakers,” Freedom explained. He expressed that the pressure of playing for such a storied franchise can lead to a player becoming a scapegoat if the season does not go as planned.
In his first season with the Lakers, Westbrook played in 130 regular-season games, but the team did not make a playoff run. Freedom suggested, “I think that year they picked Russell Westbrook as a scapegoat.” Since then, Westbrook’s career trajectory has changed drastically. In his 18th season, he finds himself without a team, which Freedom characterized as “tough.”
During the 2021-2022 season, Westbrook started all 78 games he played, averaging 18.5 points per game with a shooting percentage of 44 percent. However, his performance from beyond the arc was less impressive, hitting just 29 percent of his three-point attempts. In the following season, his role diminished significantly; he appeared in 52 games but started only three. His numbers dropped to an average of 15.9 points, alongside 6.2 rebounds and 7.5 assists, with shooting percentages of 41 percent from the field and 29 percent from three-point range.
Westbrook was traded to the Utah Jazz during the 2023 trade deadline. After reaching a buyout agreement, he signed with the Los Angeles Clippers. Despite these changes, the Lakers have struggled to return to the NBA Finals, and Westbrook continues to seek his first championship. His time with the Clippers has seen two playoff runs, but both ended unsuccessfully. He averaged 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 6.1 assists during his tenure with the Denver Nuggets last season before opting out of his player option and entering free agency.
As of now, the Sacramento Kings are reportedly considering Westbrook as a potential addition to their roster, but no formal agreement has materialized. Freedom believes that Westbrook’s reputation as a “scapegoat” is a significant factor in his current challenges in finding a team, emphasizing the impact that high expectations and pressure can have on an athlete’s career trajectory.
