Russell Westbrick Discussion: Clipper Gonna Clip

I agree that more will open up, even if it’s just one or two more options with us taking back long term salary. Russ wasn’t an expiring contract at the deadline, now he’s a gigantic expiring contract.

 

I just have to remain optimistic that there’s one team out there dumb enough to do it, or that wants to get off $47 million for 2023 free agency. I’ve also heard multiple times that OKC has so much cap space that they can send back half of Russ’ salary in a trade with us. Maybe there’s a role player (or a couple) contract they want to get off of that go beyond next offseason. I would take just about anything for Russ honestly, we desperately need players that are better than the minimum and can contribute at all.

I believe he means that we would pull a Ben Simmons with Russ, not that we trade them for eachother. Have Russ stay at home until February, then trade him at the deadline to a team that’s given up on the season as a huge expiring. Personally I don’t like that option, because that means we are throwing in the towel on next season before it even starts. We need to move Russ for some at least middle of the bench useful players, or get off his salary to be able to improve next season. Otherwise it will be another roster of awful minimums and an older LeBron and even more scarred up AD.

 

I’m all about this. I think the cap space plan is flawed as it always was, nobody wanted to join an aging Kobe, and I don’t think stars are lining up to play with an again LeBron and an always injured AD either, but mainly they see our FO is a mess. But if you get guys that can contribute you have a shot, that’s what we were in 2020 and 2021, it clearly works better than 3 stars and minimums. Those players you trade for are ALWAYS moveable if they don’t work out too, teams are always trading for middle of the pack players making 8-12 mil.

 

But is this group any better? When Jeanie took over she had some credibility, and she brought in Magic, who in some ways landed us LeBron, but really that is what has been carrying us, LeBron and Klutch, and our scouting and drafting department. Jeanie and the Rambii have only managed to look worse and worse, Magic left and trashed us and Rob, the press has torn us apart, other teams have almost always gotten the best of us in deals, we let a lame duck coach dangle in the wind for half a season, we do not currently look like a desirable destination.

And I didn’t even mention that the draft/scouting department that do so well for us are Joey and Jesse Buss, who want and likely deserve more influence in this organization, they’ve shown their worth, they’ve worked to get it. Yet they don’t get it, while Kurt and Linda Rambis sit pretty with all that unearned power. This team is absolutely as bad as that FO is, we were seeing it before LeBron came in and saved us when we had Paul George and others spurning us, and we’ll see it again when LeBron leaves if nothing changes up top.

Oh and on topic