Russell Westbrook Shares Thoughts On Possibly Playing In Los Angeles

Russell Westbrook might not be making that trip to Los Angeles after all.

Per a report from Lakers Nation, Russell Westbrook appears to not be interested in leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder when his time to hit free agency comes about.

Despite previous rumors that he and Kevin Durant could end up as teammates on the Los Angeles Lakers, Westbrook didn’t seem to have a problem getting straight to the point and also appeared to hold nothing back.

It’s a stab in the heart for some of the faithful Lakers fans who thought they’d really get a chance to see Westbrook light up Staples Center as his own home floor, but it’s a shot back down to reality and how brutal free agency can be for the teams more heavily involved.

Westbrook has done a lot of the heavy lifting in Oklahoma City in recent memory, largely because Kevin Durant wasn’t able to stay fully healthy from time to time — but now they’re both ready to rock and roll in the second half of this season.

Surprisingly enough, both Westbrook and Durant have had enough firepower when playing together to get the Thunder the third-best record in the Western Conference during the All-Star break. They trail only the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs who have only lost a combined twelve games, respectively.

If you were to ask either one of them personally, they’d tell you the truth in that where they find themselves isn’t so bad at all.

Here’s the details of the exchange Westbrook had with a reporter on Los Angeles:

Westbrook is the latest on a list of big name free agents that have flirted with the idea of moving to Los Angeles to play for the Lakers, but end up turning down a deal or any talk of one.

Players in that situation include New York’s Carmelo Anthony, San Antonio’s LaMarcus Aldridge, and even Cleveland’s LeBron James, to name a few.

What it’s come down to for most players in that situation is the fact that, at the time an offer was made to them, the team was in no place to compete for a championship.

Especially with an aging and now-retiring Kobe Bryant.

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While nothing is set in stone yet for how free agency will actually go down once Westbrook is set loose to make a decision, the fact that he didn’t hold back or avoid the question can’t be a good feeling for the Lakers’ front office.

When it’s all said and done, one major thing that this all points to is the fact that, as a team, they need to urgently put more work into developing their young talents.

D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle probably aren’t going elsewhere anytime soon, so it’s about time that the team makes themselves comfortable with them on the front lines.

To add to that, Jordan Clarkson‘s game has to step up regardless.

He hasn’t been bad, per say — posting 15 points, four rebounds, and three assists per game — but depending on how much longer Russell and Randle need to develop completely, he may have to end up taking an even bigger load.

Because despite his best efforts, all of this has come while the team still has Kobe Bryant around.

They won’t be that lucky next season.

Bottom Line: Westbrook doesn’t want out after all.

Once the youngsters find their place in the league and on the team, more free agents will be drawn to the idea of being part of the Los Angeles Lakers again.

It’s not that the team or city needs their next big star right away; if they knew what was good for them they’d realize that the next big thing is already in front of them. But if they don’t start a more efficient development process, the team’s immediate future won’t be as bright as it should be.

Next: Kobe Bryant Left Out Of All-Time Top Ten By ESPN

And that’s just being realistic.