6 players the Lakers should bring back at all costs next season

Los Angeles Lakers: Russell Westbrook

Easily the most surprising player on this list is one Russell Westbrook. While most Lakers fans are clamoring for the team to use his massive expiring contract to bring back multiple rotation players, that doesn’t seem likely at the moment.

One reason is that the team appears unwilling to move their fabled 2027 and 2029 firsts. Not doing so takes the Myles Turner and Buddy Hield Indiana Pacers trade off the table, as well as a three-for-one swap with the San Antonio Spurs.

Instead, the Lakers may look for smaller trades and keep Westbrook for the remainder of the season. While he is far from a perfect player, he has at least been much more productive coming off the bench than when he was starting.

Once free agency hits, Westbrook is free to go elsewhere but probably won’t command more than the mid-level exception. That will limit his options, and with teams not lining up to overpay for his services, he may opt to re-sign on a much more affordable one-year contract.

Paying Westbrook a fraction of what he’s making now would likely quiet much of the criticism surrounding him, and it would help the Lakers given his playmaking ability.